Jos Buttler slams ‘poor’ Dharamshala outfield amid safety concerns ahead of  Bangladesh clash… as England captain warns surface could affect ‘integrity’ of crucial World Cup fixture

• ICC have been forced to defend the outfield in Dharamshala
• Jos Buttler disagrees with the ICC’s ‘average’ rating of the surface
• England must beat Bangladesh after being thrashed by New Zealand 

Jos Buttler has described Dharamshala’s sandy outfield as ‘poor’ on the eve of his side’s crucial World Cup game against Bangladesh, and questioned whether it will affect the ‘integrity’ of a match England must win after their thrashing by New Zealand.

ICC officials rated the outfield ‘average’ after Saturday’s match here between Bangladesh and Afghanistan – a verdict with which Buttler and his team plainly disagree.

Asked if he had any concerns about a surface that has been treated with sand after floods and a fungal infestation, Buttler replied: ‘Yeah, a few. I think it’s poor. Any time you’re talking about being careful diving, it goes against everything you want to be as a team.

‘You want to dive through a row of houses to save a run. But we won’t use it as an excuse. We’ll adapt to it. 

‘But, 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 as a player, in a World Cup match.’

Jos Buttler has questioned whether the outfield in Dharamshala may affect the outcome of England’s crucial game against Bangladesh on Tuesday

The ICC rated the outfield as ‘average’ after Saturday’s match between Afghanistan and Pakistan at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium

After making his comments in the official pre-match ICC press conference, Buttler was probed further by the BBC, who asked whether he was comfortable with the game going ahead.

He replied: ‘The powers that be are comfortable, so… the only thing I would question is if you are telling players not to dive and stuff, does that question the integrity of the game, really, because of what you want to be able to do? The worst-case scenario is something bad happens, but fingers that doesn’t happen for both teams.’

English cricket still winces at the memory of fast bowler Simon Jones’s career-ending knee injury on a sandy surface at Brisbane’s Gabba at the start of the 2002-03 Ashes, while Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman was lucky to escape without a serious injury when he jarred his knee in the outfield here on Saturday.

That prompted Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott, the former England batsman, to message his contacts in the England dressing-room, warning them what to expect.

Despite that, the ICC – led by match referee Javagal Srinath, the former Indian fast bowler – declared the outfield ‘average’. Andy Pycroft, the Zimbabwean who refereed the Afghanistan-Bangladesh game, is understood to have been less impressed by conditions.

Buttler added: ‘Injuries can happen at any time and 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 when you’re playing for your country. 

‘It’s not as good as it could be or should be. We won’t be using it as an excuse, we’ll just have to be a bit smart.’

The outfield in Dharamshala came under scrutiny after Mujeeb ur Rahman jammed his knee in the surface during Afghanistan’s game against Bangladesh 

England must bounce back against Bangladesh following a thrashing at the hands of New Zealand in the opening fixture of the World Cup

Ben Stokes would have missed the game even before the distraction of the outfield, but batted against the spinners in the nets this morning and looked slightly more free than he had on Sunday as he continues to recover from a hip injury. 

England are hoping he will be fit in time for Sunday’s game against Afghanistan in Delhi.

First, though, they must beat Bangladesh, and are set to add an extra fast bowler or two to the team who lost to New Zealand. Both Reece Topley and Gus Atkinson are waiting in the wings, while Mark Wood could be given the game off.

‘We know we didn’t play as well as we can in the last game and we’re desperate to put that right, both individually and as a team,’ said Buttler. ‘There’s plenty of hunger in the group and we’re excited to get back on the field.’

Whether the field will reciprocate the enthusiasm is another matter.

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