Pakistan cricket board hires Australian curator to improve pitches

KARACHI — Pakistan’s cricket board said Monday it had hired Australian pitch curator Tony Hemming to improve playing surfaces in the country after facing staunch criticism in back-to-back Test matches. Pakistan is due to host the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Champions Trophy from February 19 to March 9 next year.

“Hemming has been appointed as the new head curator on a two-year contract to prepare pitches for the upcoming five Tests in the home season,” the board said in a statement.Hemming will oversee pitch preparations ahead of two Tests against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi from August 21 and in Karachi from August 30.

He will also help prepare for three Tests against England in October. Pakistan’s Rawalpindi stadium was awarded below-average ratings following high-scoring Tests against Australia in 2022 and England in 2021.

Australian skipper Pat Cummins said the pitch “did not provide a fair contest” while renowned batter Steve Smith slammed it as “benign”. Hemming has more than four decades of experience and previously served as the ICC’s head curator for academies.