When asked about his thoughts on the Dharamsala outfield where England is set to take on Bangladesh, Jos Buttler expressed his concerns, stating, “Yeah, a few. It's poor in my opinion.”
Addressing the media before their second 2023 World Cup encounter, the England captain emphasized, “Anytime you're talking about being careful diving or sort of being careful when you're fielding, it goes against everything you want to be as a team. You know you want to dive through the houses to save a run. That's obviously not ideal, the way the surface is, the outfield. But we won't use it as an excuse and we'll just adapt to it. But yeah, certainly if you feel like you're having to hold yourself back, it's not a place you want to be as a team or player, or in a World Cup match.”
Buttler further noted that although he and a few others had experience playing at the venue earlier this year during the IPL, the current condition of the surface is different.
“Injuries can happen anytime. It’s definitely a surface where you’re going to want to be even more careful, which isn’t what you want to be doing for your country. You want to put your body on the line. Guys tearing in and needing to bowl fast, they need that confidence. But we’re professionals so we’ll adapt,” Buttler said.
“Naturally, you see a ball, you want to dive for it. It’s unique, I think, to be honest. I know it’s going to be the same for both teams. Hopefully, fingers crossed no one on each side picks an injury,” he added.
The HPCA Stadium's outfield came under scrutiny after the first game of the ongoing tournament, where fielders from both teams struggled and slipped several times while attempting to run after the ball.
Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott expressed concern over the outfield’s condition, highlighting Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s lucky escape from a serious injury during a diving attempt to save a boundary in the deep.
Following an 'average' rating in the match referee’s report after the first game, the Dharamsala outfield was deemed suitable for the England-Bangladesh game on Tuesday.
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