A day after it was learnt that Zaheer Khan was named as the bowling coach of India, a BCCI statement clarified that the former India international has been appointed as the bowling ‘consultant’, and will be with the team only on requirement basis.
As per Times of India, the newly appointed head coach Ravi Shastri was wary of the fact that Zaheer has no prior coaching credentials, which is why his selection on a full-time basis may have been questioned. Shastri instead prefers former Test cricketer Bharat Arun for the full-time post.
The Indian team need a bowling coach to help the bowlers flourish in overseas conditions. Since the post is still vacant, here, we take a look at five possible candidates suited for the position.
#5 Laxmipathy Balaji
Not only does the Tamil Nadu pacer bring along with him a wealth of experience as a former India international, he also has coaching credentials under his belt. One of the most experienced pacemen in the Tamil Nadu ranks, the 35-years-old was named as the bowling coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2017 edition, a franchise he had already represented between 2011 and 2013.
Besides the stint with KKR, Balaji was also the player-cum-coach of the Tamil Nadu Ranji Team in 2015-16 where he nurtured talents like Aswin Crist and Sunil Sam. Balaji, who emerged as one of the country’s best pacers in the historic tour of Pakistan in 2003-04, can groom players like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami.
#4 Venkatesh Prasad
The former India international, who currently heads BCCI’s junior team selection committee, a term that expires in September, brings along with him experience, both as a player and coach. He served as India’s bowling coach from 2007-2009, during which India won the inaugural T20 World Cup. Later, he also mentored the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.
During his international career, Prasad picked up 196 ODI wickets and 96 Test wickets, and his moment of fame arrived in 1996 World Cup. In a match against Pakistan, Amir Sohail had sledged him after hitting a boundary.
Prasad then gave the Pakistani opener a taste of his own medicine as he sent his off-stump for a walk on the very next ball and showed him the way to the dressing room. The Indian bowlers can do a lot better with some of the aggression.
#3 Ajit Agarkar
Ajit Agarkar’s records make him special. The former Indian bowler is the third highest wicket-taker for India in ODIs, and also the fastest to get to 50 one-day wickets. He has 58 Test wickets from 46 innings, 288 ODI wickets from 188 innings, and 3 T20I wickets from 3 innings.
He is no mug with the bat either, and in fact is one among the few Indian cricketers to have scored a century at Lord’s cricket ground.
Since 2013, when he announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, Agarkar has been working as a cricket analyst and also appears on various cricket talk shows. The ideologies of the 39-year old can be crucial to the young bowlers in the Indian team.
#2 Ashish Nehra
Ashish Nehra’s extremely vast experience as a cricketer is what makes him a possible candidate for the post. During his heydays, Nehra had the ability to move the ball while bowling at a quick pace.
This skill of his helped him cement his spot in the team and made him one of the first names to be added in the playing XI. At 38, he can still bowl at140 kmph, as was evidenced in his recent T20 performances, a format he masters.
After a successful IPL 2016, Sunrisers Hyderabad bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar had credited teammate Ashish Nehra for his good performances.
"Getting to learn a lot from Nehra. I have played alongside him in the India jersey for one or two months. Now am getting to learn a lot from him in IPL; he is a bowler who keeps sharing his experience with others and that helps a lot.
“If I do something wrong, he comes up and guides me in the right way and the tip he shares is very helpful. I have enjoyed playing alongside him," Bhuvneshwar told IANS in an interview.
Nehra has played 29 Tests innings, 120 ODIs and 26 T20I in which he has claimed 44, 157 and 34 wickets respectively. His average of 21.44 in T20s is particularly attractive.
Also Read: Why this murky drama when Ravi Shastri was the clear-cut choice?
#1 Bharat Arun
The former India all-rounder played only two Tests and four ODIs in the 1980s, but his coaching credentials make him a strong candidate for the post of India’s full-time bowling coach. In 2014, he took over from Joe Dawes as the bowling coach of Team India until Anil Kumble was appointed the head coach.
Shastri, who was the team director when Arun was the coach, worked closely with him, which is why perhaps he is in favour of the all-rounder’s appointment. Not just that, they have known each other since their U-19 days where they were teammates.
Post retirement, Arun coached Tamil Nadu and Bengal, and also worked at the National Cricket Academy as a mentor. In 2012, and 2014, he coached the India U-19 team which won the ICC Under-19 2012 World Cup.
Also Read: Kohli-Kumble-Shastri: The saga of a leader, a legend and a coach
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