Mhambrey to assist Wright in Bangalore camp

Paras Mhambrey, the former India and Mumbai mediumpacer, will assist John Wright in the six-day coaching camp that starts in Bangalore on September 1. Although unsure about the exact role he would play, Mhambrey told Wisden CricInfo: "I've got a letter from the Board saying that my services were required and that I should report to John Wright on September 1. I'm not entirely sure what is expected of me, but I'm happy to work with Wright and the Indian team in any way required."

Mhambrey retired from first-class cricket after leading Mumbai to victory in the Ranji Trophy in May this year. While he still plays club cricket, coaching is now Mhambrey's number one passion.

Wright watched Mhambrey in action when he was working with Frank Tyson. Curious about Mhambrey's track record, Wright quickly asked around, and when informed about his achievements for Mumbai and India, he grew interested. The fact that Mhambrey was a Level II qualified coach and had recently assisted Tyson in conducting examinations and evaluations for the same qualification clinched matters. Mhambrey has also worked with the Karnataka Under-19 and Under-17 teams.

"I've worked a lot with Frank (Tyson) and that has really helped me each time. For me as a coach, just implementing his methods is an amportant thing," said Mhambrey. "Ever since I retired in May I've been concentrating on coaching, and I'm just happy for the opportunity to work with the national coach and the team."

The fact that Mhambrey is the sort of person who would not interfere too much or look to impose his own views goes strongly in his favour. Moreover, the camp is likely to feature at least seven mediumpacers, and this is where Mhambrey will come in handy. With Tyson, he has worked on several specific drills designed to work on various aspects of bowling such as accuracy, swing and variation.

Star players have had numerous disagreements and ego clashes with several of the coaches and assistant coaches in the past. Mhambrey prefers to keep a low profile and has played with people like Sachin Tendulkar and Ajit Agarkar for over 10 years. "I'm sure there wont be any problems on that count," he said. "I've got a job to do and I'm happy to assist Wright in any way he wants."

At the moment, it's merely a one-off appointment for the six-day camp, but Mhambrey will take heart from the growing number of players who fell just short of the big-time in their heyday before turning into successful international coaches.