The ICC U19 World Cup so far has been a defining tournament for the new crop of Indian pacers. They have been amongst the wickets to help India win matches continuously clocking over the 140 kmph mark.
In a recent interview with TOI, former Indian pacer Venkatesh Prasad opened up on the bright future of these new generation of Indian pacers.
"They are doing great. Credit to the BCCI for having an excellent structure in place for junior cricket and the coaching group with Rahul Dravid at the helm. The build-up to the tournament was perfect with a tour to England and heading to World Cup two weeks prior to the tournament helped the boys acclimatize better. Although we beat Australia comfortably, the real test starts from the knockouts. India certainly have the potential to last the distance. But I don't want to jump the gun. It's important for them to take one step at a time and I'm sure the presence of Rahul would keep the boys focused right through" said Prasad on the Indian pacers in the ongoing tournament.
"It's outstanding to see pacers at this age clock 145 kmph regularly. We have always been a country dominated by batsmen. But these guys are raising the bar on the bowling front. I hope they (Mawi and Nagarkoti) sustain this form and hope they will inspire the next generation of cricketers to take up pace bowling. As selectors, we not only saw potential and talent, we saw their fitness, fielding and most importantly the right attitude" added Prasad on the young Indian pacers Mavi and Nagarkoti.
He also kept his views on the impressive Indian bowling attack who have been successful in picking up 20 wickets in Protean conditions.
"It all boils down to how consistent you are in hitting the right areas. There was a phase in India where bowlers used to hit the gym more than hitting the nets. You need to bowl more to become consistent. This group is bowling consistently in right areas. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been excellent and is consistent because he has bowled a lot in domestic cricket. I believe you can't get better with half-an- hour's bowling. You need to bowl two hours to get that consistency" said Prasad on the Indian bowling quartet.
"You can't stop youngsters from dreaming about playing in IPL. T20 is a format which the world watches. But I think an IPL stint for U19 cricketers is a double-edged sword. It can turn out to be really good or it can be a confidence-shattering experience for them. For this, one has to understand that in T20 format he could get hit around and figure out how he could bounce back. A not-so-mature pacer panics once he is taken on, then he forgets the process, tries different things and loses the plot. For mature youngsters, IPL is a huge platform and they can go places" concluded Prasad on the importance of the IPL for these young Indian pacers.
