On Tuesday, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) hosted a session titled “Turf and Outfield Management” at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. The goal of the event was to improve the knowledge and expertise of the local grounds personnel and curators.
The seminar was led by Ian Joseph, who is the head of Turf Management for New Zealand Cricket. The event’s objective was to educate participants on the most recent advancements in technology and procedures for preparing bouncy and seaming pitches.
“The method is the most important thing. There is a standard method for preparing wickets, including the base and the foundation, which we adhere to in accordance with the regulations of the ICC. However, if we talk about bouncy wickets or slow and spinning wickets, it depends on the skill of the curators, which is something that we are attempting to learn from Joseph in conjunction with specialists from Australia.
“They have visited the venues throughout the country and given specific prescriptions on the spot according to geographical and other aspects,” said Abdul Baten, National Manager of Grounds & Facilities for the BCB. “They have also given specific prescriptions on the spot according to other aspects.”
It is stated that the soil and circumstances in Bangladesh are not appropriate for pace-friendly pitches, and historically, the tracks in Bangladesh have been sluggish and low, which has favored spinners. This is something that is commonly heard. In spite of this, Joseph was of the opinion that despite the climate and circumstances in Bangladesh, it would be feasible to construct surfaces that favor fast bowling.
Joseph responded as follows when asked about such factors: “I believe it to be a bit of a fiction. It is up to the curation abilities of the curator to properly manage the field, as well as its preparation, in order to produce a great playing surface.
There have been a handful of matches that have been played in Bangladesh on surfaces that have performed exceptionally well in those matches. I have every confidence that the pitches will continue to advance thanks to the curator training program and the knowledge-sharing that will take place.