Proteas coach Rob Walter says he won’t let the reported sandy outfield at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala dictate his team selections for Tuesday’s Cricket World Cup clash with Netherlands.
South Africa head into their third World Cup match in India high on confidence after klapping Sri Lanka by 102 runs in their first match in New Delhi, before smashing Australia by 134 runs in Lucknow.
Now their attention shifts to Dharamshala where Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman was lucky to escape serious injury after his knee got ‘caught’ in a sandy patch while trying to stop a boundary in their first match against Bangladesh.
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So big was the skrik that England’s Jos Buttler labelled the outfield “poor” in the build-up to their clash against Bangladesh on that turf last Tuesday.
Asked about the outfield and whether that will have an impact on team selection, South Africa’s Walter says: “We are in Dharamsala now, but haven’t been to the ground yet, so I can’t comment on how bad it [the outfield] is.
“But it certainly wouldn’t change how we look at the game. It potentially influences what we might do fielding-wise, and if there is a significant risk as Josh Butler, I think, mentioned, you probably taking out your dives and those guys who like to slide knee-first would be a no-go zone.
“I haven’t been there yet, so can’t comment much on it.”
With the Proteas on a roll, Walter was asked if he’s considering giving some of his squad players a run against a team they are expected to beat.
But he says: “We are unlikely [to change the team]. The beauty of the start of our campaign is that we’ve had some nice breaks in between each fixture and you get the opportunity to recover well, train well and prepare well.
“It’s just about playing whatever we feel is the strongest team on the day.”