Former PCB chief curator Tony Hemming gets major role in BCB

This undated picture shows former PCB chief curator Tony Hemming. — PCB

DHAKA: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Saturday reappointed Tony Hemming, the former chief curator of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), as its Head of Turf Management on a two-year contract.

Hemming recently resigned from his role as PCB’s head curator, previously worked with the BCB from July 2023 to July 2024.

BCB’s cricket operations chairman, Jalal Yunus Rahman, confirmed Hemming’s appointment.

“Tony Hemming has been appointed as head of turf management for two years,” Rahman said.

“All our international venues and curators will be under his supervision, and he will also oversee the training of Bangladeshi curators. There was strong interest from our board directors in bringing him back.”

Rahman praised Hemming’s credentials, calling him 'one of the best curators in the world,' and suggested that his previous positive experience with the BCB influenced his decision to return.

For the unversed, Hemming has relinquished his role, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed on Saturday.

Hemming assumed the role in July last year on a two-year contract, but has stepped down after 13 months.

Notably, the Western Australian joined the PCB after his contract with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had expired.

During his stint as PCB chief curator, Hemming prepared pitches for Pakistan’s ICC World Test Championship matches against Bangladesh (two in August/September) and England (three in October) last year.

Hemming also curated pitches for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, held in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9.

For the unversed, Tony Hemming is a highly respected curator with nearly four decades of experience.

He 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.

It must be noted that Hemming had replaced Zahid, who started his career by joining the chairman of the PCB Curators Committee in 2001.

Zahid was later appointed as the chief Curator in 2004. He resigned from this role back in 2020 but was reappointed by former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja in 2021.

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