ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday said it had appointed Tony Hemming new head curator for a period of two years, amid efforts to improve the national side’s performance.
The announcement came a month after the 2009 champions crashed out of the T20 World Cup, when the USA-Ireland match was abandoned because of rain. It was the earliest-ever elimination from a T20 World Cup for Pakistan. They suffered a shock defeat to first-timers USA before losing to arch-rivals India. Pakistan’s only win was against Canada.
On Monday, the PCB announced a series of measures to improve the national team’s performance and said Hemming would arrive in Lahore this week to assume his role as the head curator.
Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi (right) chairs a meeting of the management board in Lahore, Pakistan on Match 5, 2024. (Pakistan Cricket Board/X)
“One of Hemming’s immediate tasks will be to prepare pitches for the upcoming five ICC World Test Championship matches against Bangladesh (two in August/September) and England (three in October),” the PCB said.
“Hemming will also oversee pitch preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which Pakistan will host from 19 February to 9 March.”
The Western Australian is a highly respected curator with nearly four decades of experience and has worked at various iconic cricket grounds in Australia, including Melbourne, Perth and Tasmania, as well as in countries such as Bangladesh, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where he was the ICC’s Head Curator from 2007 to 2017 in Dubai.
During his time with the ICC, Hemming also oversaw pitch preparation at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, which was one of Pakistan’s home venues between 2009 and 2019.
The PCB earlier announced the inclusion of South Africa’s Gary Kirsten and Australian Jason Gillespie a part of the Pakistan selection committee.
“Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie have been included in the selection committee,” the Pakistan Cricket Board said in a statement. “Every player will have to undergo a fitness test every 3 months. The player will have to play domestic cricket. The selection committee will finalize the procedure for playing domestic cricket.”
The handout said the period of the central contract would be one year and it would be reviewed every year on the basis of the performance and financials of players.
“The technical procedure for issuance of NOCs (no-objection certificates) for playing leagues will be laid down and NOCs will be issued to the players who meet the procedure,” the PCB said.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said there would be “no compromise on discipline.”
“There will be a zero tolerance policy against players who violate discipline,” Naqvi, who is also the country’s interior minister, was quoted as saying by the PCB. “There should be unity and agreement within the team. Grouping players will not be tolerated. Management should take strict action on grouping.”
Naqvi has also asked Kirsten and Gillespie to submit a plan to upgrade high performance centers and build new ones in Islamabad and Peshawar and improve the quality of coaches’ training.
Last week, the PCB sacked selectors Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq following the team’s disappointing T20 World Cup campaign in June.
