A panoramic view of the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. PHOTO: STAR File
In order to enhance the skills of the local ground staff and curators, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) arranged a workshop on Turf and Outfield Management at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Tuesday.
Ian Joseph, head of Turf Management of New Zealand Cricket, conducted the programme, which aimed to teach the latest technology and methods to prepare bouncy and seaming pitches.
“It’s all about technique. There is a universal system in preparing wickets such the base and foundation, which we follow according to ICC guidelines. But if we talk about bouncy wickets or slow and spinning wickets, that depends on the curators’ technique, which we are trying to learn from Joseph along with experts from Australia. They have visited the venues in the country and gave specific prescriptions on the spot according to geographical and other aspects,” Abdul Baten, National Manager Grounds & Facilities at the BCB, said.
It is often said that the soil and conditions in Bangladesh are not suitable for pace-friendly pitches and tracks have traditionally been slow and low, favouring spinners. However, Jospeh opined it would be possible to prepare pace-friendly pitches given the weather and conditions in Bangladesh.
When queried about those factors, Joseph said: “I think that’s a bit of myth. It’s up to the skills of the curator to carefully manage the pitch and its preparation and to deliver a quality surface. There have been a number of games that had been played in Bangladesh where the pitches have played very well. I am confident that the pitches will only improve further with the curator training programme and by sharing our knowledge”
