‘More grass, better to chase because of dew’ – Former Dubai pitch curator lists what to expect in Asia Cup

Tony Hemming: In 2007, I was appointed by the ICC to help design and build the Dubai International Cricket Stadium and also the ICC Cricket Academy, along with the famous (Australian cricketer) Rod Marsh. We had this opportunity to dream, do whatever we wanted to. So, we built the ICC Academy, importing soils from around the world. We brought 360 tons of soil from Australia, including Gabba (Brisbane) and WACA (Perth) soil. We also brought 360 tons of soil from Pakistan and 150-180 tons from England. We were supported well by the board at the time, which included Malcolm Speed, who was our (ICC) CEO.

The Dubai International Cricket Stadium had seven pitches. We used the Pakistan soil for that stadium, knowing that we’d be hosting Asian cricket, so we thought it would be best to have Asian soil. Once I built the field with a small team, we then recruited staff. We introduced computers so the staff could follow patterns of the climate to follow the procedures. And being in the UAE, of course, the climate is quite predictable. It gets hotter and hotter as you go deep into the extreme summer, the June, July, August period. And then you have your two changing seasons of your autumn and your spring, which is probably the period that’s challenging the most because of the winds with the dust storms.

What do you think the wickets for the upcoming Asia Cup will be like?

Tony Hemming: Based on the last two years, we’ve seen that Dubai has been avoiding grass because of the extra usage that the stadium has had. Now, looking at the ground last two weeks, they have got a grass cover at the moment. So I believe that the pitches will not behave as they have for the last two years. The pitches should have better carry to the keeper and should have better pace onto the bat.

We have seen in the 2021 T20 World Cup or even in IPLs how a bigger factor, dew, plays.

Tony Hemming: Let’s concentrate on September. In September, your humidity levels have been between 60 and 80 per cent. Therefore, I see temperature drops from, say, 38 to 28 overnight. There’s obviously a change in the atmosphere. Therefore, dew is created now.

The former curator of Dubai explains the key factors in maintaining the wickets throughout the year, and what can be expected the wickets will be like for the upcoming Asia Cup. (X/Bangladesh Cricket)

(To prevent dew), number one, go-to is do not water the ground on the day of the game. Try and water the ground 36 or 48 hours before. Number two, you use dew-retardant (a substance, coating, or film designed to prevent or minimize the formation of dew, which is condensed water vapor) on the morning of the match. Number three, you’re in a situation where you’re in God’s hands regarding the climate. The only other way you can prevent it from occurring in that sort of atmosphere is to turn on large fans and dry the surface as much as you can. However, once the game starts, you’re not allowed to have fans on.

How different are the Dubai and Abu Dhabi pitches?

Tony Hemming: Well, two grounds both use Pakistan soil. So the difference would be the grass cover. I believe Dubai will have more grass cover for this event. I believe that Abu Dhabi will have a good, even grass cover. The difference might be just the curators and the technology that perhaps one groundsman uses over the other.

We have seen ball swings more in Dubai compared to Abu Dhabi. The spell from the 2021 T20 World Cup, when Shaheen Shah Afridi was swinging the ball all over, why does it happen?

Tony Hemming: The difference between the two venues is that Dubai is like a bowl-shaped roof. So the roof is, I think from memory, 48 metres high. It’s creating a different climate within the venue. Where Abu Dhabi has one stand at the end with a thick cap. The rest of it has this open space. So the two venues do behave a little bit differently. However, if the dew is falling in Abu Dhabi, it’s going to fall pretty heavily.

How do you maintain these pitches?

Tony Hemming: Well, as a curator, your job is to grow grass. Without grass, you’re not going to be able to hold the soil together very well. And this is when the pitches start becoming more of a batting wicket or more of a spin-friendly wicket. A good cricket pitch needs a root system, so it can allow the pitch to dry out evenly, consistently. So the number one priority for a curator in all standards of cricket is it should be encouraged to grow grass. After that, you’ve got to work against the climate, and we’re working with a warm-season species.

We also keep hearing this term, batting gets easier under lights, and the pitch gets better in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Can you explain why?

Tony Hemming: If a team puts a score on the board, say 200 runs, their bowlers, in the chase, are using cross seam. So if the ball hits the shiny side, it’s going to carry through really quickly and fast. If the ball hits the seam, it’s going to hold it up. So with the new ball, you probably see carry to start with. And then after 10 overs, the ball’s going to soften off and you’re going to see it holding, it’s sticking. Number one, the dew hits the surface by then, and the surface is getting moisture in the pitch. So that’s what’s happening. Now, whether to say that’s due to change in the pitch or the change of the ball or the change of the bowler’s behaviour — I think when you look at real science, the surface definitely changes. The pitch changes only if it’s going to be watered. So watering, in this case, is the dew-fall.

The ball will get wet. The ball will change in its moisture-holding capacity in the leather. If you lose that lacquer coating, the ball’s going to absorb the moisture. And the ball’s going to absorb the moisture through the seam area. There’s no lacquer coating in the seam area.

How hard is it to prepare pitches for the long tournaments with limited venues, like the Asia Cup has only two venues?

Tony Hemming: Well, it’s a T20 tournament, isn’t it? In T20, you don’t want so much of a sporting event. The ball’s not meant to seam. The ball’s not meant to spin. So it’s more of a batting-type pitch based on the ICC guidelines to make it fair for everyone. The groundsman has a schedule where the majority of the matches are played every second night. So, first game Abu Dhabi, second game Dubai. It’s alternating like that until it gets to the final series, where I think Dubai has two games in a row, then Abu Dhabi has a couple in a row. So I think the ICC and Cricket Asia have produced a fair draw for the two grounds to cope with.

I would start on the first or the second pitch that I’d be looking to use in the final, so you can get a feel for how they’re going to come out and be prepared. You don’t want to go into a final or a semi-final with a fresh pitch. You want to know its behaviour attributes before the start of play, so you’ve got a good handle on how you can produce the best pitch for the final.

So generally, the three in the middle, you’d be earmarking them, and then during the tournament, you might make a decision to be centre pitch for the final and the two side pitches for semi finals.