PCB spends lavishly on curator Atkinson without much gain

BY : Waheed Khan.
KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has spent approximately $13500 dollars for hiring the services of the chief curator of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Andy Atkinson during the recent home series against India.

‘The News" has been told by well placed sources in the Board that Atkinson was paid a fixed daily rate of $260 dollars besides being provided full boarding-lodging and travelling.

Atkinson, who belongs to England and is chief curator with Essex county, was on the payroll of the Pakistan Board for around 42 days for the India series.

He was given complete responsibility of preparing the pitches for the five one-day internationals and three Test matches in Multan, Lahore and Rawalpindi.

The sources said besides the $260 dollars per day package, the board also spent approximately $100 dollars per day on his accommodation and travelling in Karachi, Multan, Peshawar and Rawalpindi.

But while he was based in Lahore for the two One-day Internationals and one Test match, Atkinson was provided accommodation at the PCB National Cricket Academy hostel.

"Atkinson was paid approximately $11,000 in all as his 42-day package while the Board spent another $2500 on his boarding, lodging and travelling," one source disclosed.

Atkinson prepared true batting pitches for the one-day series in which the bowlers had a tough time except for the third match in Peshawar.

But he then came under fire after the first Test in Multan for preparing a pitch that didn’t offer much help to the Pakistani fast bowlers. India won the first Test by an innings after batting first and compiling a record 675 for 5 with Virender Sehwag scoring a monumental 309.

Atkinson claimed that he had been forced to shift the pitch for the first Test because the original one prepared for the match had developed termite problems and when he left some grass on the alternate pitch he was asked to shave it off by the Pakistan team management. After the Multan incident, the Board was forced to step in and ensure that neither Atkinson nor the Pakistan management were allowed to shave off all grass on the surface for the second and third Tests.

The source said Atkinson had also been paid around the same package per day when he came to Pakistan last year for the series of five one-dayers and two Tests against South Africa. The PCB has said it was satisfied with the work done by Atkinson on the pitches for the India series.

- Source : The News International, Pakistan.

Saturday, April 24, 2004.
source : © UAEcricket.com.