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England\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
A surprise thumping at the hands of New Zealand in their opener has narrowed England\u2019s margin for error but concerns in the lead-up to their second fixture have centred on the field of play.<\/p>\n
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 \u201cthe integrity of the game\u201d could be compromised.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The International Cricket Council stressed the outfield was rated \u2018average\u2019 by the officials at that game, while match referee Javagal Srinath has declared himself satisfied after a fresh inspection.<\/p>\n
But England have had two training days at the venue and are unimpressed by conditions, which appear to fall short of international norms.<\/p>\n
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Buttler said: \u201cI think it\u2019s poor, in my own opinion. It\u2019s not as good as it could be or should be.<\/p>\n
\u201cCertainly if you feel like you\u2019re having to hold yourself back, it\u2019s not a place you want to be as a team, or as a player, or in a World Cup match.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want to dive through a row houses to save a run, so it\u2019s obviously not ideal, the way the surface is. We won\u2019t be using it as an excuse, we\u2019ll just have to be a bit smart.\u201d<\/p>\n
He subsequently took his misgivings even further, telling the BBC: \u201cThe 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?<\/p>\n
\u201cWorse case scenario is something bad happens, but fingers crossed that doesn\u2019t happen for both teams.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
England\u2019s World Cup-winning former captain Eoin Morgan gave a wholehearted endorsement of Stokes\u2019 importance to their title defence, given how essential he was to the cause in 2019.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs he as influential as he was? Even more so I\u2019d say,\u201d said the Irishman, who is in India as an ICC World Cup ambassador.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe 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\u2019s genuine.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the thing that we can\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n