The England team will be making their first Test tour to Pakistan since 2005, but earlier they had traveled for a 7-match T20I series and stand-in captain Moeen Ali had talked about the quality of the food served to the team in Lahore and Karachi, where the T20I series was played.
The feedback from players and support staff was that the food on offer, particularly at match venues, was not quite up to scratch, with a handful suffering from upset stomachs at certain parts of the tour.
Moeen Ali had made a tongue-in-cheek remark about the different food cultures in Lahore and Karachi, saying: "Food-wise, I have been a little bit disappointed in Lahore. Karachi was really nice."
Keeping this in mind, the England contingent for the Test series in Pakistan will include a chef as well to take care of the dietary and food needs of the squad.
ESPNCricinfo reported that Omar Meziane, who worked with the England men's football team in a similar role during the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020, will assume the role.
This has been done keeping in mind the demands of Test cricket, in which England will play three Tests in 21 days at Rawalpindi, Multan, and Karachi.
Therefore the team understood that they needed someone to oversee food preparation and tailor menus according to specific requirements and tastes throughout felt necessary and controllable to control.
Even Cricket Australia said that they regretted not taking a chef with them to Pakistan when they toured the Asian country earlier this year.
This will be a boon for Jack Leach who suffers from Crohn’s disease an inflammatory bowel disease and takes immunosuppressant medication to manage the illness while being strict about what he eats.
(ESPNCricinfo inputs)
