Sam Curran had no qualms about surrendering new-ball duties to Reece Topley after watching his Surrey team-mate deliver the goods in England’s World Cup win over Bangladesh.

Curran opened the bowling alongside Chris Woakes in the opening-day defeat by New Zealand, and took a wicket with his very first ball as Will Young nicked an inswinger down leg.

But Topley was recalled to bolster the attack for Tuesday’s clash in Dharamshala and the 6ft 7in left-armer was in wonderful form, taking out Tanzid Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto with consecutive deliveries in his first over and then bowling the dangerous Shakib Al Hasan with a beauty that crept past the outside edge and hit off stump.

Those early breakthroughs knocked the stuffing out of the chase before it had really begun as Topley finished with figures of four for 43 in a heavy 137-run victory.

Curran was on hand at the death to claim the final wicket of the match and had nothing but praise for the man who replaced him at the top of the innings.

“Of course I would like the new ball, but what I like doing for the team is adapting and I thought Reece bowled amazingly,” he said.

“To get two in two and three in the powerplay really set Bangladesh back quickly. It was pretty amazing for him to come back into the side and do that. It got the boys buzzing in the field and the margin we won by was important to get back on track with our net run-rate as well.

“Reece is very tall and, being a left-armer, it’s very nice to use different angles on the crease. The way he started was amazing.”

Curran also saluted the efforts of Dawid Malan, who helped himself to 140 in just 107 deliveries to power England to a winning score of 364 for nine.

Malan edged ahead of 2019 World Cup winner Jason Roy in the pecking order just before the squad was announced and made good on his promotion with a fourth century in the last nine innings.

“He’s fairly quiet, but he does all his talking with the bat to be fair,” said Curran.

“He’s played really consistent cricket for a long time now, he missed out in the first game but he’s showed his class now. A big hundred is what we needed.

“The batters came out the blocks pretty well and we’ve got ourselves into the tournament with a first win now. Hopefully we can keep it going.”

England are swapping the Himalayan mountain air of Dharamshala for the hustle and bustle of Delhi next, with a game against Afghanistan to follow on Sunday.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Tuesday announced the match schedule and venues for the West Indies Academy home series against Ireland Academy. The series will feature three 50-Over matches and two four-day matches in Antigua from 17 November to 5 December.

The first 50-Over match will be at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium (SVRS) on Friday 17 November followed by the second match at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) on Sunday 19 November. The third limited over match will be back at SVRS on Tuesday 21 November. Both four-day matches will be played at CCG – the first starting on Sunday 25 November and the second start on Sunday 2 December.

Graeme West, CWI’s High-Performance Manager, outlined the idea behind the series and the structure. He noted that CWI continues to prioritize the development of players with the aim to prepare them to play at the highest level.

He said: “We are delighted to host Ireland Academy in Antigua for what will be a highly competitive multi-format series. This series is critical in the players ongoing development and education and we are pleased that it will involve both red and white ball matches. 2023 has provided the players with some great exposure through the Headley-Weekes Series, the CG United Super50 Cup and the Republic Bank CPL, so this will be a fitting conclusion to the calendar year and provide the squad with clear aims and objectives going into 2024.”

West added: “These five matches are not being played in isolation, but form part of CWI’s overall high-performance strategy.  We want to provide the squad with competitive environments and high-performance platforms that facilitate growth and prepare the players to excel in a West Indies shirt.” 

MATCH SCHEDULE

17 November: 1st 50-Over match at SVRS

19 November: 2nd 50-Over match at CCG

21 November: 3rd 50-Over match at SVRS

25-28 November: 1st 4-Day match at CCG

2-5 December: 2nd 4-Day match at CCG

Dawid Malan vowed to “keep silencing people” after his century helped England get back to winning ways at the World Cup with a convincing display against Bangladesh.

Now 36, Malan has had to scrap hard for every opportunity he has had in international cricket and only inked his name into the World Cup side a matter of days before jetting out to India.

As recently as last month he was viewed as a versatile reserve batter for the tournament rather than a starter, but Jason Roy’s untimely battle with back spasms and Malan’s own player-of-the-series showing against New Zealand finally saw him nail down a spot at opener.

A false start in the tournament curtain-raiser against New Zealand put the pressure on England as defending champions, but for someone who has felt his credentials being placed under the microscope regularly Malan was well placed to stand up and be counted in Dharamshala.

He put on 115 with Jonny Bairstow (52) and 151 with Joe Root (82) on his way to 140 from 107 deliveries, three more than the final winning margin as the Tigers failed to live with a target of 365.

It was his sixth hundred in just 23 ODI appearances – the same number Sir Andrew Strauss managed in 127 caps and the explosive Alex Hales in 70 – but he still feels motivated by the struggles he has faced to find a place with England.

“I’m just hungry, hungry to play, to play well, hungry to score runs and win games of cricket,” he said.

“I’ve wanted to be part of this team for so long and it’s been impossible to break into with players that have been so good. I’m desperate to do well in this format and prove a point that I deserve to be in there.

“I feel like every series I’m under pressure. For me to keep silencing people is all I can do. If I can score as many runs as I can and help contribute to wins hopefully eventually people’s opinions might change.

“To be able to score a hundred and say that I’ve been able to score a hundred in a World Cup game for England is fantastic.”

Malan is, in many ways, an unlikely magnet for critics given his outstanding 50-over record. He boasts an average of 63.15 and a strike rate of 98.44, with exactly 1,200 runs on the board, but he is all too aware of those who remain sceptical about his ability to accelerate.

“There’s been a lot of strange narratives around over the last couple of years,” he said.

“But the majority of my cricket for England has been T20 cricket and I’ve always said, I can play it like a T20 game if you want me to. Just ask me to do what you need me to do and I’ll do it.”

Ahead of the game England had expressed concerns over the state of the outfield at the HPCA Stadium, with the loose, sandy soil composition making for uncertain conditions underfoot.

But the scale of their victory meant they were not forced to take any undue risks in the field and were able to bank the points without any scares.

“It was pretty bad. We’re pretty happy to get through that game without any injuries – both teams, I think,” said all-rounder Sam Curran.

“We don’t have to come back here. But hopefully the outfield does get better: it’s not very nice, what’s happened to it. But I thought the wicket was really good.

“Luckily, there weren’t too many balls we had to sprint after, we’re just pretty happy that no-one’s injured coming into the next game.”

Cricket West Indies (CWI) president Dr Kishore Shallow has reprimanded Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) head Conde Riley for “serious breach of trust” and bringing “the entire CWI organization into disrepute.”

In a strongly worded letter to Riley on October 5, Shallow outlined a number of issues which he said reflected poorly on the Bajan’s stewardship.

The most egregious, Shallow said, was the 70-year-old Riley’s appearance on the Mason and Guest radio show on September 26, when he claimed Barbados had been awarded the rights by the International Cricket Council to host the final of the 2024 T20 Cricket World Cup.

The World Cup is being held in the West Indies and US, with Barbados, Trinidad and Guyana reportedly vying to host the final. No announcement has been made by the ICC or CWI about the venue for the final.

CWI vice president Azim Bassarath recently told i95.5FM: “I know for a fact that decision has not been made as yet, and the reports that we’ve had from the ICC and from our people that represent CWI at ICC, is that some time in November that decision will be made.”

A clearly upset Shallow told Riley: “Your inaccurate public statement that a letter from the ICC to the BCA advising that Kensington Oval had been awarded the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 final not only misled the public but also constituted a serious breach of the trust placed in you as a CWI director. Such actions not only reflect poorly on your personal integrity but also bring the entire CWI organization into disrepute.”

Shallow urged Riley to familiarize himself with Article 51 of the memorandum and articles of association of CWI and the code of ethics for the board of directors.

Shallow said there was hesitancy to throw the book at Riley, but warned that such considerations “may not be extended in the future.”

Shallow added, “This letter is issued with the expectation that you receive it with due gravity, CWI is an organization with sterling reputation, and as directors, we must act responsibly, in good faith and to maintain the best interest of CWI. Our collective actions must consistently uphold the highest standards of CWI.”

An outstanding century from Dawid Malan and Reece Topley’s eye-catching return put England’s World Cup defence back on track as they hammered Bangladesh by 137 runs in Dharamshala.

The 2019 champions were bruised by a thumping loss to New Zealand in the tournament opener but banked a handsome win of their own to cap their visit to the outer ranges of the Himalayas.

Malan was the architect, rolling out a career-best 140 in 107 balls as he carried England to 364 for nine with a fourth century in his last nine innings.

At one stage they would have backed themselves to post 400, but a flurry of wickets at the back end kept them to a less flashy figure.

It was still their biggest World Cup total on foreign soil and easily enough to get the job done against outmatched opponents who were railroaded by Topley on his recall to the starting XI.

England bolstered their pace attack by swapping out spin-bowling all-rounder Moeen Ali for the 6ft 7in left-armer and it proved an inspired decision as Topley blew away the Bangladesh top order and finished with four for 43.

He took two in two balls in his opening over, clean bowled captain Shakib Al Hasan with a wonderful ball and circled back for the battling Mushfiqur Rahim.

He was the pick of the pack throughout and will take some budging from the teamsheet now.

Bangladesh lost their way entirely with the bat, ambling aimlessly to 227 all out and helping repair much of the previous damage to England’s net run-rate.

Malan was only inked into the starting XI last month, embarking on a compelling run of late summer form just as the selectors were losing faith in the form and fitness of Jason Roy.

A lethargic start against the Black Caps in Ahmedabad did not show him at his best, but the 36-year-old removed any doubt about his readiness with a wonderfully-paced knock.

His first 50 runs came in a hurry, taking just 39 balls, and, after taking 52 more to convert his half-century, he showed off some extra gears by slamming 40 off his last 16 deliveries.

Malan’s ambitious streak was evident from the outset, with two glorious sixes off Mustafizur Rahman the highlight of England’s 61-run powerplay.

The first saw him stoop low enough to engineer a slog-sweep over deep square, a shot requiring equal parts bravery and timing, and the second saw him stand tall and pull hard.

When Bangladesh retreated to spin he took a different method, rarely allowing himself to go aerial, threading his shots into gaps and pulling out a reverse sweep against the steadying hand of Shakib.

He took the lion’s share of a 115-run partnership with Jonny Bairstow (52), who had earlier joined England’s 100-cap club after a presentation from former captain Eoin Morgan and was looking solid until Shakib snuck one into his leg stump.

Malan also outscored Joe Root in the decisive third-wicket stand of 151 that kept England ticking for almost 20 overs.

Root, who emerged alone in credit against the Black Caps thanks to a well-made 77, was calm and controlled again, cutting loose only briefly to reverse ramp Mustafizur for six.

In reaching 82 he moved past Graham Gooch as England’s leading run-scorer in World Cup cricket, easing past his mark of 897.

When Malan departed in the 38th over, after unloading a torrent against Mehedi Hasan, he had left the power-hitters in the middle order a perfect platform of 266 for two.

To score 98 more for the loss of seven wickets was an underachievement, down in no small part to Sofiul Islam, who removed Jos Buttler, Root and Liam Livingstone in the space of nine deliveries.

Despite that, they already had more than enough, with Topley’s new ball showing settling the issue.

Having watched from the sidelines as England took a single wicket last time out, he doubled that tally in his first over.

His fourth delivery swung enough to take Tanzid Hasan’s outside edge and carried to second slip and his second left Najmul Shanto as he sprayed to backward point.

Shakib survived despite misreading the hat-trick ball but was soon undone by something even better, beaten on the outside edge by one that held its line and clipped the top of off.

When Chris Woakes nicked off Mehidy Hasan Miraz it was hard to see a way back from 49 for four and they never really attempted to tackle the spiralling required rate.

Liton Das (76) and Mushfiqur (51) made England work before Woakes and Topley returned to add to their hauls, but the sense of any danger had long disappeared.

Livingstone countered his first-ball dismissal with the bat by producing a first-ball wicket of his own and Adil Rashid opened his account in his 16th over of the tournament.

Bangladesh’s passivity saw them survive almost until the end, but Mark Wood and Sam Curran hit the stumps late on to wrap things up.

Dawid Malan’s superb century did the hard work for England as they racked up 364 for nine against Bangladesh in Dharamshala, a game they hope can kickstart their World Cup defence after a sticky start.

Malan reeled off a perfectly paced 140 in 107 balls at the top of the order, a career-best knock from a man who only inked his name in the first-choice XI a matter of days before the squad was finalised, to give his side their highest ever World Cup total away from home.

The 36-year-old, frequently an afterthought in England’s white-ball revolution but now a leading man in his own right, shared stands of 115 and 151 with Jonny Bairstow (52) and Joe Root (82) as the reigning champions recovered some of their swagger following a nine-wicket thrashing by New Zealand in the tournament opener.

At one stage, with a power-packed middle order queuing up in the dugout, they looked ready to shoot for 400 but their over-exuberance allowed Bangladesh to find a way back in the closing stages.

England lost five for 27 at one stage, but still walked away with a new record total at the HPCA Stadium, with Malan overtaking Indian superstar Virat Kohli’s 127 as the biggest individual score at the ground.

He paced his run perfectly, scoring his first fifty off 39 balls in the powerplay, taking 53 more to convert his half-century and then smashing 40 off his last 16 as he cut loose. With 16 fours and five sixes, it was an eloquent response to critics who worry about his ability as an aggressor.

For Bairstow there was a fifty to mark his 100th ODI cap, handed over in person by his former captain Eoin Morgan in the team huddle, while Root made his second telling contribution in as many games.

He was alone in emerging in credit from the thrashing in Ahmedabad, making a measured 77, and here moved past Graham Gooch’s mark of 897 runs in World Cup cricket.

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.”

Cricket is on the verge of returning to the Olympics for the first time in 128 years after the sport was put forward for inclusion at the 2028 Games.

There has only been one cricket match played at an Olympics, when Great Britain defeated hosts France in a low-scoring Test match to win gold at the 1900 Games.

But a men’s and women’s T20 competition joins baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse and squash in being endorsed by the organisers of the Los Angeles Games as additional sports for five years’ time.

LA28 said in a statement its proposal will be “reviewed” by the International Olympic Committee executive board for “ratification” at the 141st IOC session in Mumbai on October 16.

International Cricket Council chairman Greg Barclay was cautiously optimistic about the news, two years on from the governing body announcing it would bid to have the sport included at the Olympics.

He said: “We are delighted that LA28 have recommended cricket for inclusion in the Olympics.

“Whilst this is not the final decision, it is a very significant landmark towards seeing cricket at the Olympics for the first time in more than a century.

“I’d like to thank LA28 for their support during the new sport evaluation process over the last two years and we look forward to the final decision being taken at the IOC Session, in India, during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup next week.”

The Jamaica Defence Force successfully defended their Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) All Island Limited Overs (AILO) 50 Overs Tournament title with a narrow five-run win over Melbourne Cricket Club via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in the final played at Sabina Park on Saturday.

Melbourne, who entered Saturday’s final unbeaten, batted first and posted 245-9 from their 50 overs thanks to a 109-ball 99 from Jamaica Scorpions batsman Andre McCarthy and 47 from all-rounder Shalome Parnell.

National pacer Gordon Bryan took 4-29 from his 10 overs for the soldiers. Rather than chasing 246 for victory, JDF’s slow over-rate meant 15 penalty runs were added to Melbourne’s total, meaning they would need 261 to retain their title.

JDF’s reply got off to the worst possible start with the wickets of Tevin Gilzene (6), Marlon Saunders (14) and Oneil Weir (0) to be struggling at 34-3 in the eight over.

The ship was steadied, however, by a 104-run fourth wicket partnership between Deethmar Anderson and captain Kevin Daley.

Anderson made a top-score of 77 while Daley added 44.

Even when both their wickets fell, JDF were able to keep ahead of the DLS par score, eventually reaching 235-8 off 40 overs, five runs ahead of the par score when the umpires determined the light was no longer suitable for play.

Leg-spinner Matthew Comerie took 3-41 from six overs while Parnell ended with 2-44 from eight for Melbourne.

Former West Indies Women’s player Eugena Gregg was inducted into the Hartford Connecticut Cricket Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 7.

At the ceremony held at the Marriott Hotel in Hartford, the 57-year-old Gregg was inducted in acknowledgment of her outstanding contributions to cricket including her input towards growth and development, her service to the community and the many lives she impacted both as a player and administrator.

Gregg, a right-arm medium-fast bowler and right-handed batter, was the first St Lucian to represent the West Indies Women and appeared in 10 One Day Internationals between 1993 and 1997. She was captain of the St Lucia Women’s team.

She made her ODI debut for the West Indies at the 1993 World Cup in England. At the World Cup, Gregg played in six of her team's seven matches, taking three wickets.

 She was retained in the squad for the 1997 World Cup in India, and appeared in every match at the tournament and took a career best 3-35 from seven overs against Denmark.

She and Patricia Felicien were the only Saint Lucians in the squad, and the first Saint Lucians to be selected in any West Indies squad.

Gregg was named St Lucia’s Women’s Cricketer of the Year in 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993 and in 1997 when she was named St Lucia’s Sportswoman of the Year.

In 2006, she was elected President of the South Castries Cricket Association. Two years later she won the Ministry of Youth Development Award for outstanding administrative roles and contributions to the development of cricket in St Lucia.

She was named manager of St Lucia’s  Women’s Junior and Senior Cricket teams and between 2017 and 2019 was the manager of the West Indies Women’s team.

England’s World Cup-winning former captain Eoin Morgan believes it would be “naive” to call on Jofra Archer in this year’s tournament.

Archer played a key role in securing the trophy for Morgan’s men four years ago, topping the wicket charts and delivering the nail-biting super over in the Lord’s final.

But the Barbados-born seamer has played just seven ODIs since that day, with a litany of fitness problems making him a regular in the treatment room while he has not featured competitively since the IPL in May.

He is scheduled to join up with England shortly as a reserve player – partially to oversee his continued rehabilitation from a stress fracture of the elbow and partially as a potential injury replacement if required.

Should one of England’s chosen seamers go down during the lengthy trip around India, there is hope that Archer could step into the breach and play a part in the business end of the competition, but Morgan has urged caution over that idea.

“It’s not something that I’m thinking would be a good idea,” said Morgan, who is in India as an ICC World Cup ambassador.

“Right here and now I don’t know because he’s not played and we don’t know what he’s capable of. Given the injury issue that he’s had in recent times I think it would be naive of anybody to think just chuck him in whenever you can because we’re either desperate or feel that you need an option.

“Obviously the feedback about when he’s trained with the team has been that he’s back bowling beautifully, but you would like to see that in a game, you would like to see that in a continuous performance.”

Morgan’s successor as skipper, Jos Buttler, offered no new clues about Archer’s status but confirmed he would be in the country shortly and linking back up with his team-mates.

“He’s coming out soon. The plan is obviously to finish off the rehab stages of coming back from his injury,” he said.

“He’s continuing to build up and rehab and that’s a great place for him to be able to do that in and around the squad. Obviously if he builds up and everything then should the worst case happen (to another bowler) it’s a conversation.”

Morgan, meanwhile, gave a wholehearted endorsement of Ben Stokes’ importance to England’s title defence. Like Archer, he was essential in 2019, when his never-say-die attitude carried the eventual champions back from the brink in the final.

Having reversed his ODI retirement to take part he has been laid low by a hip problem since arriving.

But 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.

“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.”

England are looking to put their opening game thrashing by New Zealand behind them when they tackle Bangladesh in Dharamshala in their second World Cup outing on Tuesday.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the key issues surrounding the game.

Injury concerns on sandy outfield

The conventional cricketing build-up to the game has been largely overshadowed by talk of underfoot conditions at the HPCA Stadium. The pitch itself is in good condition but away from the square the ground does not appear to be operating at international standard. A loose sand-based soil composition makes for an uneven base, while the grass coverage is patchy. The International Cricket Council have said it was rated as “average” after its first game of the tournament, but that appears a generous verdict. England can ill afford to sustain injuries in the field, but must balance any precautions against their natural instincts to chase down every ball.

Altitude six-ness

England have established a reputation over several years as a batting side who do not die wondering, but their efforts were made to look gentle by New Zealand, who easily outscored them on boundary count in Ahmedabad. They could not have pitched up at a better place to find their hitting range, with the stadium sitting 1,500 metres above sea level and benefitting from thin mountain air that can help the ball fly further. Liam Livingstone blasted nine sixes here as he struck 94 in 48 balls at this year’s IPL and he has already indicated a willingness to go for a repeat. He is unlikely to be alone.

Bairstow joins the hundred club

England opener Jonny Bairstow will collect his 100th ODI cap when the team-sheets are handed over, the 27th Englishman to do so and the sixth in the current squad. Only one of those has ever celebrated the milestone by scoring a hundred – current batting coach Marcus Trescothick in 2005. The opponents that day? Bangladesh.

A familiar foe

England place a lot of store on their engine room of all-rounders – Moeen Ali, Livingstone and Sam Curran – but it is their opponents who boast the number one all-rounder in the ICC rankings: Shakib Al Hasan. The wily left-armer first faced England as long ago as 2007 and has proved a thorn in their side over the years. He scored a fine hundred at Cardiff in the group stages of the 2019 tournament and earlier this year snapped up four for 35 in Mirpur, including three of the top four. He took three Afghanistan wickets at this ground on Saturday and will have a good feel for bowling in these conditions.

England need to reclaim safety net

Net run-rate is not the glitziest or most glamourous of concepts, but occasionally it can be the difference between reaching the knockouts and booking an early flight home. With nine group games to sort the wheat from the chaff, banking results remains the most important thing but England do have a grisly figure of minus 2.149 to contend with in the right-hand column of the standings. They were not just beaten by New Zealand, they were hammered with more than 13 overs left. At some stage they will want to work on improving that number and that means collecting a few handsome wins of their own. There is no time like the present.

England captain Jos Buttler has suggested the state of the outfield in Dharamshala could compromise “the integrity of the game” when his side face Bangladesh on Tuesday.

The HPCA Stadium is one of the most visually stunning grounds in the world, set against the Himalayan mountain range of Dhauladhar, but the field of play is causing serious concerns due to its loose, sandy make-up and uneven grass coverage.

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 have stressed that 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.”

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.”

Buttler appeared particularly frustrated at the idea of asking his side to hold back – particularly as they look to provide a rousing response to their hefty nine-wicket defeat against New Zealand in the tournament opener.

“Any time you’re talking about being careful diving, or maybe being careful when you’re fielding, it goes against everything you want to be as a team,” Buttler said.

“You want to dive through a row houses to save a run. so it’s obviously not ideal, the way the surface is.

“I think it’s definitely one where you’re going to have to be a little bit careful, which isn’t what you want to be doing when you’re playing for your country.

“You want to put your body on the line and be trying to save every single run and have confidence in the field.

“We won’t be using it as an excuse, we’ll just have to be a bit smart.”

Cricket West Indies (CWI) issued a statement Saturday in response to the concerns raised by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) regarding the validity of the election for the position of Vice President during the Annual General Meeting held on March 25, 2023.

In a letter dated October 4, 2023, the GCB had expressed doubts about the fairness and legality of the election process. They claimed that they had officially withdrawn their nomination of Mr. Azim Bassarath for the position of Vice President during the AGM. The GCB is demanding Bassarath’s resignation adding that if he fails to demit office they will seek legal recourse.

CWI, in its statement, affirmed its confidence in the fairness and transparency of the election process, asserting that it had been conducted with utmost regard for the rights, views, and opinions of all stakeholders of CWI Inc. Furthermore, CWI highlighted that after the conclusion of the election, the elected Vice President had received congratulations and unwavering support from all shareholder members.

The Board of Cricket West Indies emphasized that they had thoroughly examined the concerns raised by the GCB and affirmed that the election for the Vice President position had been carried out in strict accordance with the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the organization. They reiterated their commitment to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and transparency in all their operations, including elections.

Despite the ongoing dispute, CWI expressed its dedication to finding an amicable resolution to the matter, stressing the importance of unity among shareholders and the cricketing community at large. The Board implored the members of the GCB to prioritize the interests of cricket above all else.

CWI remains steadfast in its mission to promote and develop the sport in the region and hopes that all parties involved can come together to resolve this matter promptly and harmoniously.

The GCB had previously sent a letter to CWI President Kishore Shallow, asserting that the process leading to Bassarath's appointment as Vice President was "flawed and illegal" in their opinion. They claimed to have withdrawn their nomination of Mr. Azim Bassarath for the post of Vice President during the AGM.

In a virtual meeting held at CWI's request on September 21, the GCB reiterated their stance on Bassarath's appointment, asserting that he was "illegally occupying the position" and should step down to facilitate a new and legal process. The GCB had expressed their dissatisfaction with the outcome of that meeting.

In their recent letter dated October 4, the GCB made it clear that they had "unanimously decided to demand the resignation" of Bassarath and indicated that non-compliance within 14 days would result in "legal recourse."

England are on alert due to concerns over the state of the ground in Dharmashala, where they hope to kickstart their World Cup campaign against Bangladesh on Tuesday.

Worries are mounting over the suitability of the picturesque HPCA Stadium, which sits on the edge of the Himalayas, thanks to a loose, sandy outfield that represents a potential safety risk to players.

The venue hosted its first game of the the tournament on Saturday, with Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman fortunate to escape unscathed after his knee jarred in the turf as he slid to prevent a boundary.

Former England batter Jonathan Trott, now head coach of Afghanistan, said after the match that players were “unsure” of their footing and that Mujeeb had been lucky to avoid serious injury.

It is understood Trott has been in touch with friends in the England camp to share his thoughts in more detail and they received a close-up look of their own during a training session on Sunday.

The International Cricket Council’s pitch consultant Andy Atkinson and head of events Chris Tetley were also in attendance, seen in conversation with the head groundsman as they assessed conditions.

An ICC spokesperson told the PA news agency: “The process for assessing the condition of the pitch and outfield lies with the match officials under the ICC pitch and outfield monitoring process and the outfield at Dharamshala was rated as average after the Afghanistan v Bangladesh match.

“Additionally, the ICC independent pitch consultant has taken a look at the outfield today and is comfortable with the conditions as is Javagal Srinath, the match referee for the next game.”

There are three ratings below the ‘average’ grade the ground received: below average, poor and unfit.

Jonny Bairstow made it clear England were aware of the situation and suggested they may need to exert some caution in the field to avoid trouble.

“There’s been a lot of chat about it hasn’t there? Touch wood we don’t have any major incidents,” he said.

“The last thing you want is two guys going off with knee injuries or something. It can contribute to shoulders as well, if you’re diving and your elbows get stuck in the ground. But it’s like the pitch being different one venue to another, you’ve just got to adapt to it.

“When you’re out there fielding with spikes on it will naturally become clear what you can and can’t do. It might just be a case of boxing a bit clever with how you go about it.

“People need to make sure you do everything possible to make sure those areas – calves, Achilles – are loose and are able to cope with the stresses of a sand-based outfield.

“But I think it’s one of those where it will be very difficult to hold someone back if they see a ball and they try to stop it – it’s a natural reaction to go for it.”

The uncertainty underfoot makes it virtually inconceivable that Ben Stokes will be risked. He missed England’s heavy defeat by New Zealand with a left hip problem and is being assessed on a day-by-day basis.

He returned to the nets for the first time in 10 days, batting against throw downs and sidearms from fielding coach Carl Hopkinson for around half-an-hour but looked in discomfort at times. He later emerged for some light running drills, jogging gently for another five minutes, but appeared some way from match readiness.

For Bairstow, the game against Bangladesh will mark his 100th ODI appearance. The 34-year-old will become the sixth member of the squad to reach that landmark, joining Jos Buttler, Joe Root, Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes, bringing up his century 12 years after an eye-catching debut in Cardiff.

“I’m very proud to play 100 games. Since I made my debut in 2011 there’s been a few ups and downs hasn’t there? But to reach that milestone and join that club is a huge achievement,” he said.

“To be playing my 100th game in India at a World Cup, having won it in 2019 and played a decent part in that, the journey this white-ball team have been on is something I’m immensely proud of.”

England may look to add an extra seamer to the XI that was defeated in Ahmedabad, with left-armer Reece Topley pushing for inclusion as a possible alternate for spin-bowling all-rounder Moeen Ali.