“No complaint, it was the same for both teams” - Mohammed Shami downplays criticism of Dharamsala outfield 

Team India pacer Mohammed Shami has downplayed criticism of the outfield at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala after it came into focus again following the India vs New Zealand 2023 World Cup clash. Shami stressed that the condition was the same for both teams, adding it would not be fair to point fingers at the groundsman.

While Dharamsala is acknowledged as one of the most beautiful cricketer stadiums in the world, the outfield of the venue has come in for a lot of flak in the ongoing World Cup. In the India-New Zealand match on Sunday, October 22, Indian captain Rohit Sharma had to briefly go off the field after hurting himself while trying to stop a ball. In another incident, an apprehensive Jasprit Bumrah refused to dive and allowed a ball to cross the boundary rope.

At a post-match press conference, Shami was asked for his views on the Dharamsala outfield. Taking a neutral stance, he replied:

“You have seen how the outfield has been. There is no complaint, because it was the same for both the teams. We cannot say anything to the groundsman because he is helpless, it’s his job, he tries very hard. I don't think it is good to put a question mark on someone."

“The situation and the condition is the same for both the teams. In India and abroad, there are up and downs. Sometimes, we play on wet grounds. Sometimes we play on dry grounds. No complaints. All the say is, the better it [outfield] is, the better for the players,” he added.

Earlier, England captain Jos Buttler was also critical of the Dharamsala outfield, describing it as “poor” and “not ideal”.

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“Recovery is very important” - Shami

Having beaten New Zealand by four wickets, India now have a few days’ gap before their next World Cup match. Admitting that recovery is important, Shami added that cricketers do not take “offs” as such.

“See, first of all, recovery is very important. When you play continuous matches, recovery becomes very important. But, the outside world thinks that cricketers go their separate ways when they rest for eight days. That's not true. There are always some activities related to cricket - practice activities, some games, football. You keep playing. So, it's important. There's no off. There's never an off,” he said.

India’s next match in the 2023 World Cup will be against England in Lucknow on October 29.