Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott calls out BCCI for uneven and rough outfield at Dharamshala -

Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott calls out BCCI uneven and rough outfield at Dharamshala

October 8, 2023

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Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott calls out BCCI for uneven and rough outfield at Dharamshala

England’s boundary fielders are preparing for a challenging day in Dharamsala on Tuesday, having received a warning about the condition of the outfield at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium from their former batsman and current Afghanistan coach, Jonathan Trott.

The grass on the sand-based outfield is uneven and patchy, resulting in several players slipping or losing their footing while fielding in the deep during Bangladesh’s six-wicket victory over Afghanistan on Saturday. The outfield has been a long-standing issue at the venue, which even led to a Test match between India and Australia being moved to Indore at short notice in February.

Update: The ICC have rated this Dharamsala outfield for Bangladesh vs Afghanistan as 'average' and England vs Bangladesh will go ahead 🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️🙏🏼 #WorldCup2023 #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/RGzQCb2UyL

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) October 8, 2023

Trott expressed concern that Mujeeb Ur Rahman was fortunate to avoid a “serious knee injury” when his knee dug into the turf while attempting to save a boundary. He is understood to have contacted England players to caution them about the outfield’s condition ahead of their match against Bangladesh.

The match officials’ report from Saturday’s game described the outfield’s condition as “average.” ICC independent pitch consultant Andy Atkinson inspected it on Sunday and was reportedly satisfied with its state. The HPCA ground staff watered the outfield immediately after the game and did so again on Sunday afternoon, focusing on the areas around the bowlers’ run-ups.

During Bangladesh vs Afghanistan match..#BANvsAFG #ODIWorldCup2023 #ICCWorldCup2023 #BANvAFG pic.twitter.com/y10hIgPqcc

— RVCJ Media (@RVCJ_FB) October 7, 2023

Tuesday’s match will be played on a fresh pitch, two strips away from the unusually slow surface used on Saturday. In the worst-case scenario, if the umpires, in consultation with the match referee, consider the ground’s condition as “dangerous or unreasonable,” it could lead to the game being suspended and subsequently abandoned. In such a scenario, the points would be shared between the teams.

On Tuesday, Ahsan Raza and Paul Wilson will be the on-field umpires, with Srinath serving as the match referee. The condition of the outfield may also factor into England’s decision not to include Ben Stokes, who missed their nine-wicket loss to New Zealand due to a left-hip injury.

Stokes did some batting in the nets on Sunday but faced sidearm throws instead of bowlers and appeared cautious in his movements. He briefly went through running drills on the main square. Stokes had not played in either of England’s warm-up matches, and his limited involvement in training sessions was observed since arriving in India.