World cup 2023: Another hurdle hits BCCI as concerns rise over fungus-infected Dharamsala outfield
World Cup 2023, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been making its way through hurdles all along. In the latest, with just three weeks left for the ball to set rolling for the much awaited cricket tournament, it has been found that there are issues with the outfield at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamsala.
An inspection team from International Cricket Council (ICC), headed by pitch consultant Andy Atkinson, has not given a satisfactory review about the Dharamsala outfield, TOI reported.
A team from BCCI will do another recce in the next few days to get a clearer picture of the state of the outfield.
The outfield has been infested by fungus and Atkinson raised a red flag immediately, sources told TOI.
By the first week of September, Atkinson finished inspecting all the venues in India.
“Atkinson’s review was quite concerning. The outfield has been majorly affected by Grade IV fungal infestation.
He has raised the issue with the BCCI operations team. The local authorities are looking into the issue,” a BCCI source told TOI on Thursday.
However, the BCCI and HPCA are still hopeful that the ground would be ready for the first game planned there on October 7 between Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
On October 22, India will play New Zealand in Dharamsala.
“There’s an assurance given that the problem will be resolved by the time the World Cup comes around.
The BCCI team will be doing a routine check by September 20 or this weekend. BCCI secretary Jay Shah may travel to Dharamsala to take stock of the situation,” the source said.
Concerns about the outfield at Dharamsala have been brought up twice already this year.
Ealrlier in March, the HPCA was unsuccessful to make the ground
