India Cricket: Young pacers need to go through first-class grind

One of the most heartening features of India's record fourth Under-19 World Cup triumph in New Zealand was the brilliant show put up by the fast bowling trio of Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi and Ishan Porel, who took 24 wickets between them. All three clocked in excess of 140 kmph and hurried up the batsmen. Among the many who were left impressed by India's lethal pace attack for this level were Australia's coach and their 2013-14 Ashes hero, Ryan Harris, and former West Indies pacer-turned commentator Ian Bishop.

There has always been a school of thought that those who possess raw pace should be rushed into international cricket, but India's under-19 bowling coach and former India pacer Paras Mhambrey feels that these quicks aren't ready for the top level yet.

"They are a little far away (from the top level). Yes they have done well at the under-19 level. Yes, they have hit certain speeds levels. If you look at the challenges at the first-class level, the quality of batting... it's going to be a while for them. They need to go through the first-class grind. They'll experience failures and success and they'll eventually evaluate themselves, which is important as a fast bowler. It's not just the ability to bowl fast. It is also about understanding how to bowl, understanding your body, the conditions, the wicket. I think it's too early for me to say they are ready," Mhambrey told reporters after arriving with the triumphant India U-19 team on Monday.

The former Mumbai seamer seemed delighted with the fact that his pacers became the talk of the town in New Zealand. "It feels wonderful to go into a game and know that you have the power and quality. It's easy to challenge the opposition. Every game is going to be different. So you look at ways of setting targets and challenging them becomes easier because you know you have the talent. We hear people say that our batsmen are on the receiving end. Now, here is a bunch of fast bowlers who can give it back. It's fun to watch from the dressing room. You definitely don't want to face them, but it's fun to guide them," praised the bowling coach.

Mhambrey also cautioned the young guns about the perils of trying to bowl too fast all the time. "If you have the pace, you have to focus on that. There's no doubt about it. Also, you cannot get carried away with pace. You have to hit the right lengths. If you want to win a game, you need someone who bowls accurately from both ends. You cannot have someone bowling 150-plus and leaking runs. It becomes difficult to control the game. So, it's important to have accuracy too and not just pace," warned the 45-year-old.

The 2003 Ranji Trophy-winning skipper said that it wasn't difficult for this trio, though, to ask them to focus on accuracy while maintaining the pace. "It wasn't challenging. A challenge arises when a bowler isn't accurate. If you see the games or prior to that, accuracy was never an issue. I think it was important to channelise that and be able to consistently hit those lengths. That was simpler I did not have to work so much. We were all on the same page and thinking alike."

Mhambrey said that he wasn't surprised to see the pace generated by his bowlers, and stressed that the final result was the culmination of a process. "We monitored them for a year-end a-half. There was a structure in place with the National Cricket Academy (NCA). Prior to the tournament, we took their videos. It helped to have a good fitness trainer in Anand (Date). We shortlisted a few guys whom we thought would be our fast bowlers. Then, we monitored their workload. We wanted them to be at their peak by the time they reached the tournament. So, I wasn't surprised to see how they bowled. I have seen them from a younger age," he explained.

Thanks to the hype around him even touching the 150 kmph mark, Nagarkoti became the most expensive U-19 player to be sold in this year's IPL auction. Mhambrey felt that it was a tournament which all these youngsters wanted to play in. "These boys are quite mature. The IPL auction was a challenging phase for us. But they showed maturity when they went on the field after that. Obviously, it is a happy moment for them. The IPL is a big tournament, everyone wants to play in it. It's not just about the money or hype. They are aware that it's an opportunity to rub shoulders with the top bowlers and batsmen of the world. Pick heads of the top coaches of the world. I think they have a cool head on their shoulders."

(TNN)