Damien Hough impressed with commitment of ground staff in Pakistan

• Hough visited Karachi for the inspection of the pitches.
• He previously visited Lahore and Rawalpindi.
• He lauded the staff for their dedication.

Damien Hough, head curator of Adelaide Oval, toured Pakistan this week and assessed the National Stadium Karachi outfield and square. Hough has previously visited Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium and Rawalpindi’s Pindi Cricket Stadium.

This weekend, Hough would be in Karachi. Hough will also evaluate the two Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre grounds inside the NSK fence.

Hough will also talk in Lahore and Rawalpindi on pitch and outfield preparation. In addition to the NSK, high performance centre ground staff, and curator, Sindh Cricket Association coaches will attend the lectures as part of the PCB’s effort to improve the knowledge and skillset of its coaches across the country.

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Hough commended the passion and devotion of the ground workers in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi and emphasised that his tour is about collaborating, learning, and sharing ideas.

“This is the third Test centre that I am visiting and so far, I have really been impressed by the passion and commitment of ground staff in Pakistan and the team in Karachi is no different. For me, the trip is a lot about exchanging ideas, collaboration and figuring out how things are done in Pakistan and how they compare to Adelaide and Australia.

“A lot of credit goes to the PCB for initiating this exchange, I am very impressed by their commitment to improving the pitches and grounds. This pitch relaying project in Lahore and Karachi is a testament of the willingness that the PCB has for improvement and I am sure it will go a long way in developing quality pitches.”

Damien Hough, who has worked at the Adelaide Oval for more than a decade, is considered one of the world’s top curators. A good cricket pitch balances bat and ball, says Hough. 300 runs and 10 wickets indicate a decent cricket pitch for long-format games.

“A good wicket is one that provides opportunities to both batters and bowlers. Back home we have an indicator of sorts of 300 runs and 10 wickets in a day for a long format pitch.”

Damien Hough also praised the PCB’s trial with Australian soil in Karachi and Lahore. The soil is expected to reach Karachi within one week. Australian soil will be used to prepare pitches at NSK, Naya Nazimabad (Karachi), GSL, and National High Performance Centre (Lahore).

“I believe it is an exciting initiative and an experiment that is worth having a close look at. The pitches prepared with the Australian soil will provide a great opportunity to Pakistan players before a tour of Australia in terms of their preparations for the pitches there. Once again, the PCB deserves credit for this initiative, I feel that there will be a lot to learn and observe once the pitches are laid and are ready for cricket.”

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