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Dharamsala Stadium Infected With Fungus; ICC Raises Concerns Ahead of WC 2023

image-lmllrve0Dharamsala Stadium in Himachal [Twitter]

As the highly-anticipated World Cup tournament draws closer, concerns are beginning to mount around a potential fungus infection in the outfield of the Dharamsala Stadium. 

Recently, ICC’s head pitch consultant, Andy Atkinson concluded the inspection of the ground and raised some red flags regarding the state of the outfield. It has been learnt that the BCCI officials will conduct another inspection to get a broader picture of the ongoing situation at the HPCA stadium.

During the inspection process, Atkinson identified that the outfield of the stadium was infected with Grade IV fungal infection. Furthermore, he was deeply concerned regarding the state of the outfield and escalated this matter to BCCI who are currently evaluating the situation.

"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, BCCI have given assurance to ICC that the problem will be dealt with swiftly ahead of time. According to a BCCI official, the cash-rich board is working around the clock to eradicate the fungus infection and Jay Shah could possibly visit the venue to take cognizance of the situation.

"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."

As the World Cup looms large, BCCI have been rocked hard by this unfortunate development from Dharamsala which can potentially hamper the ongoing World Cup preparations. However, BCCI and HPCA remain confident that the ground will be in good shape by the time the first World Cup game at this venue kicks off between Bangladesh and Afghanistan on October 7.