The five-day program commences today at Hotel Taj Samudra at 8.45 a.m. with nearly 70 participants grouped in three categories.
At the final stage of his visit, Brind will conduct a program in Colombo for the benefit of those who are engaged in the preparation of pitches in the following areas:
Pre-season work on the square; pitch preparation; after match repairs; summer maintenance; end of the season renovation; and maintenance of machinery.
Brind who counts nearly 30 years experience as a head groundsman at Essex and Surrey, was awarded the MBE for his loyal and dedicated service. He has been pitch consulant to the ECB on a part time basis from 1988 to 1994.
During his stay in Sri Lanka, Brind will also inspect the pitches in Galle, Kandy, Kurunegala and Colombo where international matches and BCCSL major tournament matches are held.
Anuruddha Polonowita, vice president of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka and its consultant on pitches for the past six years, will be the course director.
A BCCSL release states: ``A recent assessment by the Board on the condition of pitches at various venues where major tournaments are being staged revealed that the maintenance process in most of the venues is far below the expected standard.
``The Board having taken a serious view on the prevailing situation therefore decided to enhance the knowledge of the curators and groundsmen who are directly engaged in the preparation of pitches at venues where international and local matches conducted by the Board are being staged.
``Under the direction of the BCCSL president Thilanga Sumathipala, Polonowita, during an official visit to England this year made the Board's positive thinking a reality by obtaining the services of Brind, who has been released by kind consent of the ECB for a period of two weeks''.