The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced Tony Hemming as the new chief curator on a two-year contract.
Hemming, hailing from Western Australia, is set to arrive in Lahore on Wednesday to assume his role. One of his initial responsibilities will be preparing pitches for the five upcoming ICC World Test Championship matches against Bangladesh (two in August/September) and England (three in October).
Additionally, he will oversee the pitch preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which Pakistan will host from February 19 to March 9.
Hemming brings nearly four decades of experience to the position. He has worked at several iconic cricket grounds in Australia, including Melbourne, Perth, and Tasmania, as well as internationally in Bangladesh, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. From 2007 to 2017, he served as the ICC’s Head Curator in Dubai.
During his tenure with the ICC, Hemming supervised pitch preparation at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, which served as one of Pakistan’s home venues from 2009 to 2019.
Hemming replaces Zahid, who began his career with the PCB Curators Committee in 2001 and became Chief Curator in 2004. Zahid resigned from this role in 2020 but was reappointed by former PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja in 2021.