The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hired Tony Hemming as the new chief pitch curator on a two-year contract basis ahead of the most awaited ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The upcoming tournament hosted by Pakistan takes place from February 19 to March 9. Previously, the Board has employed the services of foreign curators such as Andy Atkinson to improve the pitch conditions in Pakistan. For the first time, the PCB has offered a long-term contract to a foreign curator.
Hemming, who originated from Western Australia, has an experience of four decades in pitch and outfield management and has worked with the ICC (International Cricket Council).
During his tenure as the Head Curator of ICC from 2007 to 2017 in Dubai, Tony Hemming assisted with the preparation of pitches at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. It was indeed one of the home venues for Pakistan from 2009 to 2019.
A few of his impressive works include iconic stadiums at Melbourne, Perth, Tasmania, and Hobart as well as supervising the tracks in the UAE, Bangladesh, and Saudi Arabia.
The 56-year-old Australian pitch curator has taken a huge responsibility to improve the pitch quality for the forthcoming home series after the T20 World Cup 2024 against Bangladesh, England, and West Indies this year. Also, he will be in charge of preparing the pitches for the domestic tournaments.
Huge Task for Tony Hemming Ahead of Champions Trophy 2025
The pitch preparations for the Champions Trophy 2025 could be one of the greatest challenges for Tony Hemming. Also, this is the first time Pakistan is set to host an ICC event since the 1996 World Cup. Moreover, the grand tournament is ready to make a grand comeback after a long gap of eight years.
Mainly, the PCB authorities prioritize these three hosting venues of the ICC Champions Trophy and plan that the pitch should meet international standards throughout the tournament:
| S. No | Stadium | Venue |
| 1. | Gaddafi Stadium | Lahore |
| 2. | National Stadium | Karachi |
| 3. | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium | Rawalpindi (Punjab Province Of Pakistan) |
Ahead of the Champions Trophy, Pakistan will be hosting the Tri-Series scheduled on 8th and 12th February 2025 at Multan Cricket Stadium.
It is worth mentioning that Tony Hemming took over the position from Zahid, who started his career by being a part of the Chairman PCB Curator Committee.
Reasons Why PCB selected Tony Hemming as Chief Pitch Curator
PCB hopes that Tony Hemming’s in-depth knowledge of cricket pitch preparation and groundskeeping can help in developing high standards of cricket grounds in their nation, similar to his contribution to Australia.
By appointing Hemming as the chief curator, the PCB’s dedication is highlighted in improving the quality and consistency of pitches in Pakistan, which was frequently been questioned and criticized.
Under Hemming’s advice, there are higher chances to modernize the infrastructure of Pakistan cricket stadium as well as enhance the pitch quality. The main goal is to improve stadiums that are not only just cricket-friendly, but also suited to the demands of scheduling international matches smoothly and reliably.
Also, the PCB is concerned about the national team’s performance in ICC tournaments after their elimination in the group stages of the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024.
Pakistan’s First Assignment After T20 World Cup 2024: Pitches Preparation for Home Series
The Pakistan cricket team is set to resume its international matches after the T20 World Cup 2024 by participating in the 3-match home test series against Bangladesh. The Red Ball series takes place from the 21st of August to the 3rd of September 2024. Within a month’s gap, Pakistan will be hosting England for a 3-match test series from October 7 to October 28.
In between, Pakistan would be busy for two months traveling to Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa to participate in the white ball series (3 ODIs and 3 T20Is).
The West Indies will be touring Pakistan for a 2-match test series scheduled between 16th January to 25th January 2025.
The test match series against Bangladesh, England, and West Indies are a part of the World Test Championship cycle 2023-25. Currently, Pakistan ranks at the 5th position in the points table (as of 18th July 2024) and aims to secure the first two positions to participate in the finals. Therefore, the PCB planned to appoint an experienced curator like Tony Hemming to prepare pitches that can provide an advantage to the Pakistani players in improving their performance and standards of playing cricket on home grounds.
Estimated Outcome Of Pakistan Cricket Team: Tony Hemming as Chief Pitch Curator
It is expected that Domestic Cricket in Pakistan might benefit after the appointment of Tony Hemming. This is because the pitch conditions for domestic venues get improved and the overall quality of playing cricket reaches the next level.
In the previous year, Hemming’s work has contributed to a significant improvement in pitches and outfields in Sylhet and Chattogram. This resulted in Bangladesh winning their first test at home against New Zealand at Sylhet. The exceptional wicket provided a competitive contest for both batters and bowlers.
Despite, Hemming having more than 20 years of worldwide experience, he can attain success only by receiving proper cooperation from local designers and field workers. Finally, Tony Hemming entering a position of authority makes the cricket world eagerly wait to witness the beneficial changes he makes to Pakistan’s cricketing tradition.