‘It’s poor…goes against everything you want to be as a team’: Jos Buttler on Dharamsala outfield | Cricket-world-cup News
Upon being asked if he had any reservations about the Dharamsala outfield where his team takes on Bangladesh on Tuesday, Jos Buttler replied, “Yeah, a few.”
Addressing the reporters ahead of their second 2023 World Cup game here, the England skipper said, “It goes against everything you want to be as a team. You want to dive to save a run. The way the surface is, it’s not ideal. We won’t use it as an excuse but it’s certainly going to hold yourself back from a place you want to be as a team.”
Buttler went on to add that while he and a few others had played at the venue earlier this year during the IPL, the surface on offer wasn’t the same.
The outfield at the HPCA Stadium was put under the scanner after it’s first game of the ongoing tournament that saw fielders from both teams slipping in their attempts to run after the ball.
A general view of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala. (Reuters)
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“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.
Having received an ‘average’ rating in the match referee’s report after the first game, the outfield in Dharamsala was deemed good to go for the England-Bangladesh game on Tuesday.
