BCCI plans to set up fast bowling unit

The BCCI is getting ready to start its first-ever pace bowling unit at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore from June.

"There are a lot of plans, and the pace bowling unit is one of them," Ratnakar Shetty, the BCCI's Chief Administrative Officer, told Cricinfo. "India's reputation as a team with some of the most promising fast bowlers currently in world cricket is one of the main reasons why we were very keen to set up unit this year itself."

The pace wing will focus on a pool of around 20 bowlers who may be identified in consultation with the national selectors and will be coached for an initial stint of four months. To start with, the fast bowlers will train with India's "fringe players" who will be at the academy for a camp of two months this summer.

Venkatesh Prasad, India's bowling coach, will be consulted on various aspects of the pace unit, but the NCA is also looking to hire a full-time head coach. It's learnt that Bharat Arun, the former Test medium-pace bowler, has emerged as a leading candidate for the job. The NCA is also looking to utilise the services of John Harmer, the former Australia women's coach and a biomechanics expert, as a consultant.

Shetty said that the academy would also start a parallel biomechanics unit with inputs from the Centre of Excellence in Australia. "Ravi Shastri [the NCA chairman] and Dav Whatmore [the director] feel the NCA has to be a complete, fully-equipped institute," Shetty said. "Already, the presence of Paul Chapman and Paul Close [physio and trainer] has made a huge difference. Indian cricket has not seen anything like this before."

India's fast-bowling attack has played a crucial part in some of the team's major victories over the last two years starting with the 1-0 Test series win in West Indies that was spearheaded by the right-arm duo of Sreesanth and Munaf Patel. Sreesanth followed it up with an 18-wicket haul during the three-Test series in South Africa, which saw India win its first Test in that country.

Last year, left-arm fast bowlers Zaheer Khan and RP Singh played a key role for India winning a Test series in England and then Ishant Sharma impressed in Australia early this year. RP got his name on the Lord's honours board with a five-wicket haul while Zaheer has been named by the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack as one of its Five Cricketers of the Year for the 18 wickets he took during the three-Test England series.

Zaheer, RP and Sreesanth are all products of the MRF pace academy in Chennai which has Dennis Lillee, the Australian fast bowling legend, as consultant. The privately-run academy has played a crucial role in shaping the careers and technique of Indian fast bowlers over the last two decades right from Javagal Srinath to Irfan Pathan, although its efforts to tie up officially with the BCCI have failed. Now, the Indian board feels it's time it had a fast bowling unit of its own.

"We felt the time was just right to start the pace bowling unit," Shetty said. "There is more potential young talent in India, and we wish to groom them for the highest level and provide them with right guidance and coaching."