Under pressure to deliver good pitches, PCB seeks help from ICC Academy's former chief curator

After the end of the second Pakistan vs Australia Test at Karachi that saw a thrilling draw, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken a big decision. 

Not to forget, this Test might have produced an exciting last couple of days, but the pitch in Karachi too came under the scanner after Rawalpindi track was given a bad rating by match referee.

The under-pressure PCB is now calling former ICC Academy head curator Toby Lumsden to oversee the preparations for the final game at Gaddafi Stadium starting Monday.

In the two Tests so far, eight centuries have been scored -- six by Pakistani batters and two by Australia in Karachi. Both games have produced over 2300 runs with 14 wickets falling in Pindi and 28 in Karachi.

Karachi fans! _
Thank you for being an electric crowd, for hosting Test cricket at NSK and becoming part of this historic tour with us.#BoysReadyHain l #PAKvAUS pic.twitter.com/ui0PPEhy4c— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) March 16, 2022

The PCB has confirmed that Lumsden has reached Lahore on a 10-day assignment and will use his experience to help the local curators prepare the third Test surface.

A PCB official said he will also help the local curators understand the modern requirements for preparing pitches.

Lumsden, who has also been curator at the MCG, is presently supervising all the preparation work in Lahore where the pitch is expected to produce a result after the first two tests have been drawn.

Lumsden is not the first foreign curator to be hired by the PCB which has in the past also brought in other foreign curators during home series to help in preparing pitches.

A reliable source in the board said that PCB Chairman, Ramiz Raja has been focusing a lot on improvement of pitches in Pakistan.

"He wants to also change and improve the process of preparing pitches and Lumsden might also be given a longer assignment to help train the local curators," he said.
Get services of Indian curators to prepare "turners", says Aaqib Javed. 

With PTI inputs