England’s bid to get their World Cup defence back on track could be hampered by the condition of the outfield in Dharamshala when they face Bangladesh today.
A surprise thumping at the hands of New Zealand in their opener has narrowed England’s margin for error but concerns in the lead-up to their second fixture have centred on the field of play.
Uneven grass coverage and a loose sandy make-up at the HPCA Stadium in the foothills of the Himalayas led England captain Jos Buttler to suggest “the integrity of the game” could be compromised.
Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman came close to a nasty injury on Saturday when his knee lodged in the surface as he slid to stop a boundary, with debris spraying up from the soil as he landed.
The International Cricket Council stressed the outfield was rated ‘average’ by the officials at that game, while match referee Javagal Srinath has declared himself satisfied after a fresh inspection.
But England have had two training days at the venue and are unimpressed by conditions, which appear to fall short of international norms.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Buttler said: “I think it’s poor, in my own opinion. It’s not as good as it could be or should be.
“Certainly if you feel like you’re having to hold yourself back, it’s not a place you want to be as a team, or as a player, or in a World Cup match.
“You want to dive through a row houses to save a run, so it’s obviously not ideal, the way the surface is. We won’t be using it as an excuse, we’ll just have to be a bit smart.”
He subsequently took his misgivings even further, telling the BBC: “The powers that be are comfortable, the only thing I would question is, if you are telling players not to dive and stuff does that question the integrity of the game?
“Worse case scenario is something bad happens, but fingers crossed that doesn’t happen for both teams.”
England are likely to draft left-arm quick Reece Topley into their starting XI as they ponder shifting the balance of the side to include an extra specialist seam option.
While Ben Stokes engaged in another long batting session in the nets, his second in as many days, there is no prospect of him being risked as he continues to recover from a hip injury.
England’s World Cup-winning former captain Eoin Morgan gave a wholehearted endorsement of Stokes’ importance to their title defence, given how essential he was to the cause in 2019.
Morgan believes his presence carries even more weight than it did previously, given the achievements he has racked up along the way as a T20 world champion and inspirational Test captain.
“Is he as influential as he was? Even more so I’d say,” said the Irishman, who is in India as an ICC World Cup ambassador.
“He just continues to deliver when the team needs and creates belief and confidence around that and if you play with a guy that has already crossed the finish line on numerous occasions, and speaks in straight lines and not riddles, it’s genuine.
“I think the thing that we can’t measure when it comes to Ben is how much he contributes in the changing room and how much he makes other players better around him.”
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ticket Box Offices to open on Thursday, May 2
Fans in the Caribbean will be able to buy ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 tickets directly from box offices from Thursday 2 May and confirm their attendance at the biggest cricket carnival spectacle ever.
To celebrate 30 days to go to the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and the launch of the official anthem, box offices will open their doors on Thursday until the end of the event across the six host locations in the West Indies.
Box office locations:
Opening hours:
Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago: Monday to Friday: 10:30 am - 6:00 pm and Saturdays: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Monday to Friday: 9:30 am - 5:00 pm and Saturdays: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Box offices will be closed on Sundays. Fans across the West Indies will be able to purchase tickets for all Caribbean match fixtures. Fixtures and local start times for matches are available here.
Tickets for 39 of the World Cup’s 55 matches which are to be hosted in the West Indies will be available with prices starting from as low as US$6 for selected matches. Fans can choose from the following ticket categories: Premium, Standard Plus, Standard, Grounds and Mounds, and Party stand.
Fans will be able to pay with cash in their local currency or with their credit card at box offices. Tickets are also available online on the tournament’s official ticketing website; tickets.t20worldcup.com.
Leading up to the opening of the box offices, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Tournament Director Fawwaz Baksh said: “With just over 30 days to the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the opening of the ticket box offices in the West Indies from 2 May will mark a pivotal moment in our journey to delivering an out of this world experience for all fans.
“The opening of box offices also underscores our commitment to ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for all West Indians, who are passionate followers of the game. Their presence in the stadiums will energise players, entertain fans and viewers, and show the world a cricketing spectacle which can only be experienced in the Caribbean.”
Venue, hospitality, and party stand packages for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup are also available for matches in the West Indies and USA and are available at tickets.t20worldcup.com.
England and Saracens number eight Vunipola fined after arrest in Mallorca
England international Billy Vunipola has confirmed he has been fined after an incident which saw him arrested in Mallorca on Sunday, with his club Saracens set to launch an internal investigation.
On Monday, widespread reports claimed Vunipola had been tasered by Spanish police in the early hours of Sunday morning, with an altercation taking place after he left a club in Palma.
Saracens later confirmed they were aware of an incident and said they would deal with it internally.
The number eight, who was born in Australia but has represented England 75 times, later released a statement of his own via his club, denying that any violence took place and confirming the police investigation was now closed.
"I can confirm I was involved in an unfortunate misunderstanding when I was leaving a club in Mallorca on Sunday, which got out of hand," that statement read.
"Contrary to media reports, there was no violence, no fight and I did not threaten anybody at any stage, with bottles or chairs or anything else.
"I was charged with resisting the law and, following an 'express trial', I have paid a fine of €240. The Spanish police investigation is now closed, and I am flying back to the UK today.
"I will obviously cooperate with the Saracens internal process and unreservedly apologise for any inconvenience to all involved."
IPL: Gaikwad inspires CSK to emphatic victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad
Ruturaj Gaikwad inspired Chennai Super Kings to a 78-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.
CSK lost by six wickets to Lucknow Super Giants in their last outing, but they bounced back in emphatic fashion on Sunday.
Captain Gaikwad was in rampant form, plundering 98 runs from 54 balls, a knock that included 10 fours and three sixes, while Daryl Mitchell added a useful 52.
Tushar Deshpande subsequently picked up the mantle with the ball, taking 4-27, including dismissing Hyderabad's top three - Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Anmolpreet Singh.
Aiden Markram offered some resistance with a 26-ball 32, but once skipper Pat Cummins also fell to Deshpande, the game was all but up.
Jaydev Unadkat was the final one to tumble, as Hyderabad were bowled out for 134 and saw CSK move above them into third in the standings.
Data Debrief: Gaikwad on Kohli's heels
With 447 runs across nine innings, Gaikwad is now second on the list of leading run scorers in the IPL this season, behind only the great Virat Kohli (500).
Gaikward, though, has the better strike-rate at 149.49, while he is averaging 63.86.
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