Is Dharamshala cricket ground too risky for the World Cup 2023?

India is hosting the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup solely for the first time in 2023. We are almost 18 days into the tournament. Meanwhile, the most beautiful stadium with scenic surroundings, Dharamshala Stadium, is a popular venue for matches in India. However, some big problems are making the stadium too risky for the tournament.

High altitude, and the outfield

Also known as the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium located in the town of Dharamshala. It is situated at an elevation of around 1,457 metres (4,780 feet) above sea level. Hence, making it different, and one of the challenging cricket grounds. The primary challenges associated with playing cricket in Dharamshala revolve around the altitude and weather conditions. Due to the high altitude, the thinner air sometimes affects the flight and movement of the cricket ball. Therefore, making it difficult for the fielders to gauge the ball coming towards them. Additionally, the weather in Dharamshala is too unpredictable, with the potential for snow in some instances. 

However, the biggest concern for the Dharamshala cricket ground is its outfield. The grass on the sand-based outfield is patchy and uneven making chances of injury while fielding. Due to the patchy outfield, several players slipped or lost their footing while fielding. This incident has occurred in all matches that have been played so far in Dharamshala. And, cricketers, coaching staffs, and team managements have citied criticism.

English team had to play a warm-up match at the ground. But, it got washed out. Although, England Captain Jos Butler criticised Dharamshala's outfield stating that one has to be a little bit smart as fielders and a little bit careful. He said,

"You are going to have to be a little bit smart as fielders and a little bit careful, which isn't something you want to be when you are playing for your country." 

Meanwhile, Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott takes a dig at Dharamshala's outfield after the game against England. In this match, the afghan team manage to beat the defending champions. However, mentioning Spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman, Trott said that he was lucky to escape serious injury as he attempted to make a boundary save as his knee dug into the ground.

During India's face-off against New Zealand, Indian players were seen fielding in a very defensive way making no dive to ensure no injuries that might affect the squad. And, the patchy-grass was very visual throughout the match. One NZ-player even slipped while attempting a catch. Further, the match was even stopped due to fog. The fog made the outfield slippery, and bowling difficult.

Earlier Incident

It's important to note that, the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023, played between Australia and India, which was earlier set to take place in Dharamshala from 1st to 5th March, was later shifted to Indore. The BCCI said that there was a lack of sufficient grass in the outfield and will take some time to develop fully. However, it's been 7 months since this incident and till now, no preferable outfield has been set up that helps players during fielding.

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