‘Something to keep an eye on for the future’ - Jonathan Trott raises concerns over Dharamshala’s sandy outfield

Game 3 of the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 featured a clash between Bangladesh and Afghanistan at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala. The clash ended in disappointment for Afghanistan as the side succumbed to a hefty loss against Bangladesh in their first game of the marquee event.

After the loss, there were several discussions on the condition of the surface that was in play at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium. The outfield was deemed sandy, which puts the players at risk for injury.

The situation of the turf. Very risky for a fielder to dive in this field. #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/Cwbm09iujz

— Saif Ahmed 🇧🇩 (@saifahmed75) October 7, 2023

Speaking of the same, Jonathan Trott, Afghanistan's head coach, came forward to talk about the case of Mujeeb Ur Rahman, as he was lucky to escape without injury after diving to get the ball.

Trott made it clear that he was not blaming the surface for Afghanistan’s loss and their subpar performance but opined that it is something that the officials should look into.

"If you've got players unsure of whether they can dive… we see the product of cricket all around the world where players are taught, encouraged to improve their fielding, and when you've got players worried about getting injured… I mean, we are lucky Mujeeb hasn't got a serious knee injury towards the end,” Jonathan Trott was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

He probably shouldn't have dived with his knee: Trott

Furthermore, Trott also gave the example of Devon Conway, who escaped a similar situation in the season opener of the ODI World Cup 2023 against England. Again stating that he is not blaming the loss on the sandy outfield, he did urge the organisers to have a look at it.

"Yes, he probably shouldn't have dived with his knee. But we saw the other night [in Ahmedabad], Devon Conway from New Zealand early on as well, so it's something for them [the organisers] to look at. I'm definitely not putting any blame on that, but that's something to keep an eye on for the future,” Trott said.