The BCCI has reportedly brought in former India pacer Zaheer Khan to use his expertise and groom the young fast bowlers by hosting training camps at the BCCI Center of Excellence (CoE) at Bengaluru.
These training camps will be held in the first week of March and will see Zaheer, who has 311 Test and 282 ODI wickets for India from 2000-2015, overseeing the activities for the next line of Indian pacers.
The CoE has been without a fast-bowling coach since Troy Cooley's four-year tenure as bowling coach ended in December, when he turned 60. On February 9, the BCCI invited applicants for the job. The board has yet to announce Cooley's replacement.
“A batch of fast bowlers has been invited from state associations for a special fast-bowling camp from Feb 28- March 2 at CoE in Bengaluru under the tutelage of Zaheer. Head of cricket at CoE, VVS Laxma,n has taken a keen interest in this initiative,” a BCCI source told Time of India.
“Zaheer is very keen on taking up coaching roles. He was involved with Lucknow Super Giants and believes he can help the next generation of cricketers. It’s a good sign that a fast bowler of his stature has shown interest in BCCI programmes. However, it needs to be seen if he wants to take up a full-time job at CoE as it will require him to commit a lot of time away from his family,” the source said.
India has been struggling with fast bowling resources in the last 3-4 years. India has not been able to bring in the same quality pacers as Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, or Ishant Sharma, who are no longer incontention for international cricket.
The selectors and Indian team management have expressed special worry about the red-ball format. According to the job description in the BCCI's invitation for applications, the CoE expects its coaches to collaborate closely with the Indian team's support personnel and develop programmes to groom fast bowlers.
The BCCI has prioritized domestic coaches for positions with the Indian team. The board is usually led by coaches who have worked through the system and are familiar with the athletes who come through. Gautam Gambhir's coaching staff presently solely includes Sitanshu Kotak, who previously worked for the NCA (now CoE).
(Times of India report)
