Sports Desk:

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) recently parted ways with renowned Australian curator Tony Hemming as he opted to quit without completing his two-year tenure. It was quite a surprise considering he was earning respect from every quarter through his work and approach. In a freewheeling chat with the Hemming expressed his agony and disappointment as he hardly found enough support from the board during his stay after arriving in this country with high hopes and dreams.

The Australian is waiting for his next challenge as he is set to join Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as their next chief curator. But before joining his next office, Hemming decided not to shy away from bringing up different issues related to the BCB grounds committee. Here are the excerpts:

You just left Bangladesh out of nowhere? You were expected to stay here for two years?

Out of nowhere (laughs). I got another offer.

How would you evaluate your stay in Bangladesh?

Hemming: I came to build a stadium and there is no soil turned over in the stadium built. I have got good memories in Bangladesh and I am happy with what we have achieved with Test match pitches. But yeah, it’s not the job I came to do which is a bit disappointing but it’s ok. I found another opportunity where there is more challenge and I moved on to that.

You were supposed to train curators from that perspective how much have you achieved?

Hemming: I trained curators and I did curator courses but you need equipments to do that don’t you, to further enhance their skills.

Don’t you think you could have achieved your goal if you had stayed here for two years?

I dreamed the same for longer than two years, to be honest, like to change the sports turf management thing in Bangladesh and it’s not just the cricket side of it. It’s the football side like there is no turf industry within Bangladesh so there is a big opportunity there for someone someday actually to make sports turf industry in the country. But to be honest with you I am an action man and I come to do work and sitting around drinking cups of tea nothing really happening, it’s pretty boring.

Did you get enough support from BCB, or certain sectors did not want to embrace the new things that you wanted to bring?

Hemming: It’s just not worth talking about that like I have moved on ok, once I put my resignation in, my mind was made up on what I had to do. I had another country seek me out and they know what I am capable of and they want me to help provide a similar scenario for them and I just think that’s the price for me. I love Bangladesh, I would never say no to coming back. However, the circumstances would have to be different. And I think in time may be that will happen but I got my opportunity to speak to the CEO and speak to Mr. Papon (BCB President Nazmul Hassan) so they know where my cards were aligned, so hopefully one day things will improve.

Where are you now? Will you be working in the region of Australia or will you be going to be working in some other country?

Hemming: I am in Australia now. I have got an opportunity with Pakistan Cricket Board. I am going to be their new chief curator replacing Agha Zahid, who is retiring. So, I will be taking the role over, seeing all of the grounds. We got the Champions League next year or the Champions Trophy ICC.

Did you have support from Gamini De Silva (BCB’s chief curator)?

Hemming: Look to be honest, I don’t know the guy.

He never spoke with you?

Hemming: No, to be honest, I don’t know the guy and I don’t have anything to do with Gamini De Silva.

Was he helpful?

Hemming: Well, If don’t know the guy, and as the new guy coming to the country I think that spells it out for you.

Someday when things will get better you might come again?

Hemming: Like can you tell me, and look it’s not worth printing these but do you believe there is a Sri Lankan Mafia in Bangladesh?

Could be?

Yeah, you are right aren’t you?

How was your rapport with the BCB grounds committee chairman Mahbub Alam?

Hemming: That’s the question I asked earlier.  So is he part of that?

About the Sri Lanka Mafia?

Hemming: So he (Mahbub) is part of that (Sri Lankan Mafia) isn’t he? That’s what I’m sort of thinking. I don’t know for sure, I don’t have the facts. But you just get the feelings who is supporting and who is not, and yeah that’s a shame.

It seems that if someone wants to work independently, he finds it difficult?

Hemming: Mate, you need support from the chairman all the way through to the grounds committee and whoever who is involved with the ground. If you want to improve the grounds you need to have the honest truth laid on the table. And you can only have a look at that Sher-e-Bangla Stadium’s Academy side it’s one of the worst facilities, I think at that level of cricket.

You have seen the other places as you went to different places?

Hemming: If you saw machinery being purchased. In the whole time, I didn’t get one item delivered. My first wake, I ordered a worth $ 280 from Perth Australia and it never arrived. It never arrived on sight and it actually got lost up in customs because someone’s name was… Maybe they put my name instead of Bangladesh Cricket Board. I don’t know how that works but if you look at A to Z and how procurement works but if I can’t get a cheap item like that within one year, how do I expect the stadiums can be built?

Did you develop a research laboratory in your own house?

Hemming: Yes, I had cricket soil collection and I would do lab work at home, isn’t it a shame they are not using it in Dhaka University?

You were also working on a book?

Hemming: The book, I have completed and will be sending a copy to the CEO. I just got my first copy published yesterday. That’s the construction book for Barisal, basically A to Z how to construct a pitch my way, it’s the same way I constructed in Dubai, with slight variation for Bangladesh, like using labor which I have oppose to using a 12-ton excavator.  But the book is I’m pretty happy with it, it spells from the start to the finish it’s a pictorial, so it’s got good records, what to do each day, even the construction of the pitch. Normally a pitch should take me maybe a month to construct, if I have got all the ingredients. This one in Barisal took, we started in August and still going on what is it June? And there is still no water in the stadium, no available water (in the Barisal Stadium). There is good people mate in Bangladesh cricket there is good people there.

But there are bad people too?

Hemming: Yes, there are few bad apples that certainly bring the whole place apart. And that’s a shame for a country. Like, I love the people, good people, I would like to see things ticking along and when it comes to construction and education you need support and there’s got to be financial support and there is got to be machinery.

Mate best of luck see you in Pakistan?

Hemming: Yeah, will see you in Pakistan, first the series eh (laughter)

It will be something like when friends turn into foes?

Hemming: You know I didn’t make the decision for that, the decision for me was careerwise, I don’t know, I can always come back to Bangladesh, when things change I know I can come back.