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Dharamshala (Source: Twitter)
The Indian Cricket Board has got itself in a fix as it continues to face one hurdle after another ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup. The tournament is less than a month away and huge concerns loom over the condition of the fungus-hit outfield in Dharamshala. According to a report by Times of India, the Cricket Governing Body headed by pitch consultant Andy Atkinson who has expressed his concerns about the outfield there.
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TOI said that they will do another inspection in a few days team at the outfield so that they get a clear picture of the state of the outfield. All the venues were finished being inspected by Atkinson who raised a lot of concern about Dharamshala's fungus hit outfield. “Atkinson’s review was quite concerning. The outfield has been majorly affected by Grade IV fungal infestation. He has raised the issue with the Indian Cricket Board operations team. The local authorities are looking into the issue,” An Indian Cricket Board official said to TOI.
The problem will be resolved before the World Cup - Indian Cricket Board official
“There’s an assurance given that the problem will be resolved by the time the World Cup comes around. A team from the Indian Cricket Board will be doing a routine check by September 20 or this weekend. Indian Cricket Board secretary Jay Shah may travel to Dharamsala to take stock of the situation,” the source added. Dharamshala and the outfield have been a rocky affair.
When the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was held in March, Dharamshala was initially supposed to host a Test match but it was shifted to Indore as the outfield was not prepared a fortnight before the Test match. Even though the outfield was re-laid it was not done properly and the Test match had to move out from there.
It is to be noted that the Stadium hosted two Indian Premier League (IPL) games for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) as it has been their home ground over the years. The outfield was fast as lightning and had a nice fresh green colour to it.