BCCI plans to set up fast bowling unit

[msb1991]

BCCI plans to set up fast bowling unit Ajay S Shankar April 10, 2008 The BCCI is getting ready to start its first-ever pace bowling unit at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore from June. More: Cricinfo I am quite happy about this, I have been calling for the BCCI to have an official fast bowling academy for a little while. Just as the BCCI have trained many Level 2 coaches over the past few years, I think the BCCI should introduce a fast bowling coaching qualification so basic maintanance and improvement of talent can take place at state academies and further down to grassroots level. A main reason that Indian bowlers are slower than our Australia, English, Pakistani or South African foreign counterparts is that the majority of Indians are shorter and have a weaker build, and whereas the latter can be rectified with physical training - the former would need different teaching of fast bowling technique which differs from the conventional. Someone like Praveen Kumar is one bowls with an action that takes into account his build. He imparts a violent wrist flick on the ball and whips his arm through, whilst maintaining compact due to his shorter limbs - this is the sort of thinking that can aid the shorter people to bowl at 135kph. If the BCCI can expand the battery of international pace bowlers to those under 6ft tall, the BCCI would be looking at ten times more talent who they feel are eligible for international selection. By eligible, I mean the point in which good domestic performances would have them in the team, something which they feel that e.g. Ranadeb Bose wasn't. Of course, highly changing the technique would not be a necessity, if we look at Harold Larwood, who stood at just 5ft 10 and yet extracted unnerving bounce, you could possibly look at having bowlers work greatly on strength for a massively explosive action and braced leg... Anyway, it is good news, I hope the BCCI go through with it.

[zubinpepsi]

:stupid:

[King]

There are enough tall fast bowlers in India but they get no purchase from the tracks. What can an under 6 feet bowler do in conditions that is hardly suited for fast bowling? Makes you wonder how good Srinath was for India to be able to sustain the pressure of bowling fast on unhelpful tracks and also be able to strike regularly.

[DomainK]

We need fast tracks......:(

[msb1991]

There are enough tall fast bowlers in India but they get no purchase from the tracks. What can an under 6 feet bowler do in conditions that is hardly suited for fast bowling? Makes you wonder how good Srinath was for India to be able to sustain the pressure of bowling fast on unhelpful tracks and also be able to strike regularly.

I know there is enough tall fast bowlers in India, but I feel that the shorter bowlers are stunted by having to bowl with a technique which was made for tall bowlers. Malcolm Marshall was only 5ft 10, but he was among the fastest, best bowlers ever - notice how his technique did not correspond with the one taught at the time (side on, long strides in run up, hang time, etc...).

[msb1991]

We need fast tracks......:(

Defaintely, but if not done correctly, we can have a pitch like Ahmedabad which flattens out after the first session of the day.

[umpire]

this is because they know with amount of cricket they need batch of 20 fast bowlers so that they can use them play all year around. Very smart BCCI. Its business move

[msb1991]

Lol - it is not a business move. They want to develop talent. India already have enough similarly able medium fast bowlers for a rotation system and they have shown that they do not believe in it. I would be interested to see how the 20 bowlers change in ability from this season to the next though. A four month stint should be enough to see a noticeable difference, if it works. I'd also be interested to see who will be chosen.

[Feed]

Pace bowlers in small towns lack training facilities A proper system has to be in place to get results, writes Makarand Waingankar More... Pace bowlers in small towns lack training facilities A proper system has to be in place to get results, writes Makarand Waingankar With the daily dose of the IPL-ICL fracas, hardly any cricketing decisions were taken to see that Indian cricket grows systematically. Though the Indian pacemen did exceedingly well Down Under, on return they hit the physio’s table and were declared unfit. Those who have been reported unfit continue to be unfit. It is possibly this that made the BCCI declare the launch of a section at the NCA for pace bowling. It’s an excellent decision. Pace bowling was never India’s strength. Kapil Dev and later, to some extent, Javagal Srinath were role-models to youngsters but what it actually takes to become a Kapil or a Srinath was neither known to boys nor their coaches in the big and small cities. All that the aspiring pace bowlers knew was that it requires strength in the shoulders and legs to be a genuine pace bowler. Pandurang Salgaonkar, a bowler of the 70s, was genuinely quick and he claims that he never went to a gym because there were no gyms in the small district of Konkan where he lived. To him running for hours, swimming, and bowling two hours daily in the nets was enough to tune his bowling muscles. Modern bowlers believe in spending more time in the gym than in the nets. The frightening part is that the gym work that they put in is without any scientific supervision. While analysing the statistics of good pacers in India, it has been observed that most of them suffered from lower back and shin injuries. Obviously this has something to do a bowler’s action. In fact the action is an indicator of the injury problems bowlers are likely to face. A genuine quick bowler, Abey Kurvilla rarely broke down in his first class career of over a decade mainly because he never overdid his gym activity. He followed a regimen that was necessary as the Mumbai players play, on an average, 40 matches a season apart from the first class games. To be fit for each game, he had to work out a schedule. He would go flat out in important games and not in games where he knew he could terrorise the opponents without having to bowl quick. The major problem that pacers in small towns face is the lack of training facilities. Not all pace bowlers can be asked to train at the NCA and definitely not from October when the season starts. Some of the pacers from small towns told me that they don’t have trainers. Almost all the pacers who did well in the under-19 have either given up the game or have faded away. These problems could be sorted out by having full time zonal academies in five zones. The pacers from the zones can go to the zonal academy to get advice from experts. The NCA chief coach also can visit these academies to oversee operations and as a result more pacers can be trained. Looking for solutions Moreover, these academies can also be a resource for spinners and batsmen to get their problems resolved. Starting State-wise academies is not the solution. Not many States have qualified coaches or experienced trainers. But for five zonal academies surely the NCA can provide staff capable of carrying out the instructions of the chief coach. There has to be a proper system in place to get results. A system that identifies talent, nurtures it through a scientific process and presents to the selectors for onward exposure. Ad hoc measures don’t give consistent results as has been witnessed. The concept of permanent zonal academies is the only solution that may make the process effective.

[Chandan]

The major problem that pacers in small towns face is the lack of training facilities. Not all pace bowlers can be asked to train at the NCA and definitely not from October when the season starts. Some of the pacers from small towns told me that they don’t have trainers. Almost all the pacers who did well in the under-19 have either given up the game or have faded away. These problems could be sorted out by having full time zonal academies in five zones. The pacers from the zones can go to the zonal academy to get advice from experts. The NCA chief coach also can visit these academies to oversee operations and as a result more pacers can be trained.

Having 5 zonal academies? Didn't we hear once that we were going to have zonal academies as well? When did that decision change to every state association having an academy? Moreover, zonal academies are going to be an excellent concept, if indeed BCCI sets them up because then we can get everything streamlined for the players as far as coaching is concerned and following it up every season where the head coach od the zone can look after every bowler/batsman/keeper from that zone and sorting out problems/flaws creeping into their bowling-spin or pace/batting/keeping!! Various umpires and coaches around the country can benefit from those immensely as well!