Eden Gardens curator Prabir Mukherjee said he received a call from the BCCI office in Mumbai, asking him to prepare a turner for the February 14-18 match.

“They (BCCI officials) called me, requesting I come up with a pitch that will suit the Indian brand of cricket. Test cricket is meant to be played on good wickets. Can anyone please define what exactly is a turner? If you want the ball to turn square from day one, why do you need a curator? The Eden Gardens wicket will have even bounce and decent carry. Spinners will come into play as the match meanders along,” Mukherjee told The Indian Express.

The curator said he would want a written directive from the BCCI in case they wanted to change the basic nature of the Eden Gardens pitch.

When his comments were sought, BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty said: “I am not aware of any such request.”

In 2008, India levelled the series against South Africa after winning the final Test on an overtly spin-friendly pitch at Kanpur. With the game ending in three days, the match referee criticised the pitch in his report to the ICC, and BCCI was asked to explain.

The Kolkata Test is being hosted by the Cricket Association of Bengal whose president Jagmohan Dalmiya isn’t part of the ruling group headed by BCCI chief Shashank Manohar.

Mukherjee said that in the lead-up to the Test, the pressure on him is expected to mount. “In the past, more illustrious names have tried to persuade me to prepare a pitch of their liking. I am sure this time it will be no different. Kolkata is hosting a Test after two years and I don’t want a repeat of the Ferozeshah Kotla pitch fiasco,” he said.