Pakistan bowlers commence training at MRF Academy

Pakistan young bowlers are receiving training at the MRF Pace Academy © Getty Images

Four of Pakistan's emerging fast bowlers have begun a rigorous 10-day training camp at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai under the guidance of Dennis Lillee, the former Australian fast bowler. While Inzamam-ul-Haq disapproved of sending Pakistan bowlers to India and suggested that they train under Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis instead, the new batch - Mohammad Khalil, Mohammed Asif, Riaz Afridi and Mohammad Irshad - were excited to work under Lillee.

"It's not that the Chennai academy programme is the first one where we are having serious training and fine-tuning sessions," Mohammad Khalil, who has also played a Test for Pakistan, told Indian Express. "We did undergo quite a lot of similar programmes back home in Pakistan. In fact, we all trained for a long time at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore where former players Waqar Younis and Aaqib Javed gave us intensive training. I have been working on my action with Bob Woolmer. I will be working on the technicalities of it here."

Supporting Khalil's views, Riaz said, "I can proudly say that my own countrymen Javed and Younis played big roles in shaping my career. Javed, in fact, is my idol." Both the bowlers acknowledged that the training at the academy was proving beneficial.

TA Sekhar, the chief coach at the academy, mentioned the use of technology for the training of Pakistan's bowlers, which is already implemented by the Indian team. "From the third day, the Indian team's computer analyst Subramanian Ramakrishnan will conduct full-fledged video-filming of their bowling actions," said Sekhar. "Towards the end of the camp, Lillee and myself will analyse them and suggest suitable corrections."