3 Things to Learn from India’s First Female Curator
'The pitch belongs to the curator’ said Ian Chappell, Former Australia captain. In the sports world, the term ‘curator’ refers to a person who prepares a sports ground for use. In cricket, a curator is in charge of preparing a great sporting pitch that could offer equal advantage to batsmen and bowlers for a fair competition.
Right from leading the team of groundsmen in preparing the 22 yard pitch, to supervising turf wickets, outfields, practice facilities, and horticultural activities that meets national and international standards, a curator’s job is endless and highly demanding. While you have to take into account the tricky soil and climatic condition, you could also come under substantial pressure if the host country seeks tailor-made pitches that would suit its strength (e.g. batting or bowling) and any small flaw could create enough friction with the team management. It is continuous learning and experimentation, and you get better with every rolling of the pitch and every clipping of the grass, while braving the extremes of weather and conforming to technicalities (for e.g. in the case of a test match an ideal pitch should be at a batsman: bowler ratio of 60: 40 on Day 1, with Day 2 and Day 3 being batsman friendly, and finally reverse as 40: 60 by Day 5).
While male curators have predominantly managed the job of preparing the cricket pitch that demands working at odd hours, it has been heartening to see the emergence of Jacinta Kalyan as the first woman curator in India. While groundswomen are a common sight in India, not every day would you see a woman leading the ground duties and managing the staff. Jacinta was responsible for preparing the wicket on which the final tournament of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016 was played between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore on 29 May 2016.
Here are three lessons to be learnt from this exceptional female curator.
1. Title doesn't matter
Jacinta joined the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) as a receptionist in 1993 and later handled accounts followed by ticketing which was touted as the toughest job. Her tryst with the cricket pitch started only in 2014 when the KSCA, impressed with her immense involvement, assigned her the role of a man manager in the ground staff department that had more than 20 groundsmen. Her keen interest in managing the ground and operating the equipment elevated her as ground in-charge and thus she handled a few games during the Ranji Trophy season. Ultimately she got an IPL game in 2015. Lesson: Keep giving your best and the titles would come on their own.
2. Continuous Learning is vital
Right from learning to ride all the hydraulic machines in the stadium to understanding the nuances of grass cutting while it rains or shines, it is her continuous learning that has helped her in carving a niche for herself as a curator. While she assists two men curators during the big games, she prepares the Chinnaswamy wicket single handedly during the local league games and her biggest individual project was to prepare the wicket during the Bangladesh ‘A’ and India ‘A’ one-day series last year that pleased the India ‘A’ coach Rahul Dravid. Lesson: Keep building your knowledge so you would add value to everyone around you – your employers, employees, team members or family.
3. Believe in yourself
In her own words, Jacinta says "I never felt I will come this far but I also didn't doubt my abilities any time." While her presence of mind and leadership qualities have steered her career growth, her immense belief in her own ability has led her to this great journey. Lesson: Anything is possible when you believe in yourself.