ODI World Cup 2023: Jos Buttler concerned over state of Dharamsala outfield

Ahead of the England-Bangladesh clash at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, England captain Jos Buttler did not mince his words when expressing his dissatisfaction with the state of the outfield.  Buttler, a seasoned campaigner, voiced his concerns over the poor condition of the outfield, labelling it as "poor" and far from ideal for a World Cup game.

Buttler's concerns were not unfounded, as just a day earlier, Afghanistan's Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman had fallen awkwardly while attempting to field on the patchy and barren outfield during their match against Bangladesh. Fortunately, Mujeeb escaped a serious injury, but the incident raised questions about the suitability of the venue for international cricket.

"Yeah, a few I think [concerns]. It's poor in my opinion, 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 said as quoted by Cricbuzz.

Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott had already echoed similar sentiments after the incident, stating that the outfield wasn't ready for international cricket. Following these concerns, head curator Sunil Chauhan and ICC's independent pitch consultant Andy Atkinson conducted a thorough inspection of the ground. While the venue received the green light for the England-Bangladesh game, the outfield was rated as 'average' by the ICC.

Buttler lamented the situation where players had to be cautious while putting their bodies on the line. He emphasized the desire to play instinctively in the field, a luxury that the poor outfield conditions could deprive them of.

Also Check: Most Runs in ODI World Cup 2023

"Injuries can happen at any time, can't they, on any surface, but I think it's definitely one where you're going to have to be a little bit careful, which isn't what you want to be doing playing for your country. You want to put your body on the line and be trying to save every single run or have confidence in the field.

"So, it's not as good as it could be or should be, but it's going to be the same for both teams, and the wicket looks fantastic. So, as I said we're hungry to get out there and play well, so we won't be using it as an excuse, we just have to be a bit smart, I think," he added.

Another point of concern raised by Buttler was the run-up area for pacers, which also showed signs of wear and tear. Buttler acknowledged that it might take some time for bowlers to adjust to the conditions, but he expressed confidence in their ability to adapt.