Bangladesh and Afghanistan squared off in Game 3 of the current ODI World Cup 2023 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala. Afghanistan’s performance in the match was disappointing as they suffered a significant defeat to Bangladesh in their opening match of the major competition.
Following the defeat, there were numerous discussions regarding the state of the playing field at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium. The players are at danger for injury because the outfield was judged to be sandy.
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
Jonathan Trott, the head coach of Afghanistan, spoke on the subject, mentioning how Mujeeb Ur Rahman was fortunate to avoid harm after diving to catch the ball.
Trott made it clear that he was not attributing Afghanistan’s defeat and poor performance on the surface, but rather suggested that the officials look into it.
We see the results of cricket all around the world where players are coached and encouraged to improve their fielding, and when you’ve got players worrying about being injured… We are fortunate Mujeeb didn’t suffer a severe knee injury toward the finish, according to Jonathan Trott, who was quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
He shouldn’t have dove with his knee, probably: Jonathan Trott
Trott also cited Devon Conway as an example, who managed to get out of a similar scenario in the ODI World Cup 2023 opening against England. He urged the organizers to have a look at it while once more emphasizing that he is not attributing the defeat to the sandy outfield.
“I believe he should have avoided diving with his knee. However, Devon Conway from New Zealand arrived early the other night [in Ahmedabad], so it’s something the organizers should consider. I’m not at all to fault for it, but it’s something to watch out for in the future,” Trott added.