Dharamsala outfield raises concern for remaining Cricket World Cup 2023 matches

Bangladesh ease to victory over Afghanistan on Saturday amid concerns over player safety

Bangladesh's Mehidy Hasan Miraz, second left, starred with ball and bat against Afghanistan in their World Cup match in Dharamsala on Saturday, October 7, 2023. AP

The outfield at the Dharamsala Stadium was the main talking point on Saturday after Bangladesh eased to a six-wicket win over Afghanistan in the 2023 World Cup.

All-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz scored a half-century and took three wickets to secure victory but it was the poor state of the outfield that raised concerns about player safety.

Bangladesh coach Jonathan Trott said spinner Mujeeb Ur Rehman was fortunate to escape without a serious injury after his left knee went into the sandy surface while diving.

The outfield sported a patchy look with heavy sand underneath, discouraging players from diving and sliding.

Trott said he did not feel qualified to "make an assessment" on whether the ground was fit to stage World Cup matches.

But the former England batsman added: "You've got players unsure of whether they can dive."

"And when you've got players worried about getting injured... we are lucky Mujeeb hasn't got a serious knee injury towards the end."

Mehidy accepted the outfield was "a little heavy", adding: "The ball wasn't travelling a lot. But you can't blame the outfield... you have to perform in every situation."

Dharamsala has endured outfield issues for a long time. Earlier this year, it lost the hosting rights for a Test against Australia after the playing field was deemed unfit. Then later in the year, the grass on the outfield was hit by a fungal infection.

The venue will host four more matches, with England, Netherlands, South Africa, India, New Zealand and Australia all set to play there.

In Saturday's match, Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan put his side in the driving seat by claiming three key wickets, while Mehidy (3-25) mopped up the tail. Rahmanullah Gurbaz top-scored for Afghanistan with 47.

Mehidy then played a significant part in Bangladesh's reply with 57 off 73 balls as the 2015 quarter-finalists chased down their target of 157 in 34.4 overs.

"From the start (Afghanistan were 83-1) we didn't expect that," said Mehidy. "Shakib and me did very well. And the first few balls, we got a little bit of turn.

"And after that information was passed on by Shakib that the ball was turning. So, if you bowl on the right track, it might be good for a spinner and obviously for the pace bowlers also. So, we just discuss and think about how to bowl in these conditions."