The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will launch its first certification programme for pitch curators this month as it aims to develop local expertise and reduce its reliance on foreign specialists.
The Level 1 workshop will take place on 11 and 12 August at Flight Lieutenant Bir Sreshtho Matiur Rahman Stadium in Chattogram. BCB Head of Turf Management Tony Hemming will conduct the two-day programme.
The initiative follows Bangladesh’s shift towards producing more sporting wickets in recent home series. Instead of preparing spin-heavy surfaces, the team played on balanced pitches against New Zealand, Pakistan and Australia and enjoyed positive results.
Hemming has played a leading role in that change while working closely with local curators, including Zahid Reza Babu, Badiul Alam Khokon and Shafiul Alam Belal. BCB now wants to strengthen that local expertise through a structured training and certification system.
BCB Grounds Committee Member Secretary Mazhar Uddin said the board would introduce the first stage of its curator certification programme to improve the skills of local curators and ground staff.
“To improve the skills of the country’s curators and ground staff, we are introducing the first stage of a certification course for the first time. The training will take place in Chattogram on 11 and 12 August. Thirty curators from Dhaka, Sylhet and Chattogram will take part in the workshop. Tony Hemming, Head of Turf Management, will conduct the course. Only those who pass the examination will receive the Level 1 certificate.”
Thirty curators from Dhaka, Sylhet and Chattogram will attend the workshop. Those who pass the assessment will receive the first-level certification as BCB takes its first formal step towards producing more qualified local pitch curators.
