The current Indian team have been dominant in the recent past and are capable of stamping their authority in different conditions. The coaching team, led by former Indian captain nd spinner, Anil Kumble, have done wonders and helped catapult India to the top spot of the rankings.
The Indian coaching team, though, do not have a bowling coach to help the talented, young bowlers flourish in foreign conditions.
Here we try to look at five former Indian bowlers, who with their combination of experience and knowledge of the game can be approached for a stint as the national team’s bowling coaches.
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#5 Ashish Nehra
Over 17 years of international cricket experience across all formats, Ashish Nehra is one of the most experienced Indian pacers of all time. Nehra’s ability to move the ball at a quick pace added to the purchase he would get off the wicket made him a vital component in India’s pace attack at the prime of his time.
Yet, the Delhi bowler’s career can never be labelled consistent, often falling prey to injuries. In the 17 Tests he has represented India, the pacer claimed 44 wickets at a relatively high average of 42.40 but has fared better in ODIs and has 157 wickets to his name. Going by stats, the T20 format suits Nehra's style of bowling, a healthy average of 22.4 a testament to this fact.
Although Nehra’s career has been ridden by injuries, the Delhi pacer has risen to situations with the wealth of match experience on his side and has also been characterised as a ‘fantastic mentor’ by the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mustrafizur Rahman, Nehra’s bowling partners at the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise in the IPL.
#4 Paras Mhambrey
Honing the skills of the U-19 Indian team for a long time and receiving accolades from the legendary Rahul Dravid only goes on to speak volumes about the efforts the bowling coach of the Indian U-19, Paras Mhambrey, has put in to help develop the game of the youngsters. Apart from coaching the U-19 squad for about a year or so now, Mhambrey is also the head coach of the Vidharbha Cricket Association team in the Ranji trophy.
A medium-pacer who could wield the bat to good effect lower down the order, the former Mumbai player made his international test debut against England in May 1996 prior to making his ODI debut against the same side a month later. Sadly, his career lasted just one test match and two ODIs, but he was a consistent performer in the domestic scenario for Mumbai.
A major part of five Ranji trophy wins for Mumbai, the Mumbaikar had 284 wickets to his name at a good average of 24.36 when he decided to hang up his boots after a victorious 2002-03. Mhambrey completed his diploma in ‘Level-3 coaching’ from the National Cricket Academy.
After two seasons coaching the Maharashtra Ranji team, Paras shifted to Bengal and immediately guided them to the finals of the Ranji trophy that season. A part of the support staff of the U-19 squad and squads in the Ranji trophy, the former pacer could well be given the bowling coach’s role at the senior national level considering the depth of experience he brings with him.
#3 Ajit Agarkar
A protege of Ramakant Achrekar, who also coached Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli, Ajit Agarkar made a dream entry into world cricket, emerging as the then quickest bowler to 50 wickets in ODIs, a feat which he achieved in just 23 games.
Having donned the national jersey in more than 200 international matches, Agarkar’s ability to swing the new ball and procure reverse swing in the later stages of the game made him an asset to the Indian team. One of the pacer’s best performances came in 2003 when he troubled the Australian batsmen consistently and picked up 16 wickets in the Test series.
Agarkar tasted better success in ODIs when compared to the longer format of the game and ended his career with 288 ODI wickets to his name. Currently, he occupies the third place in the list of India’s highest wicket takers (ODIs) and also has the distinction of being one of the few Indian cricketers to score a century at the iconic Lord’s cricket ground.
An immensely capable batsman, something that is not quite suggested by his batting average, Agarkar holds the record for the fastest 50 by an Indian in ODIs .
Born in Mumbai, Agarkar debuted for Mumbai at the age of 20 and went on to represent them in the Ranji scenario for 16 years and retired in 2013 after leading them to a title victory that year. An abundant amount of experience with him, Agarkar could well be a good influence on the young Indian bowlers in the near future.
#2 Venkatesh Prasad
At the helm of BCCI’s Junior selection committee currently, Prasad’s perfect mix of match experience and coaching skills makes him a strong choice for the position. In the period of 2007-2009, Prasad served as India’s bowling coach and his ideologies were instrumental in India's inaugural T20 World cup victory,
Highly effective with the new ball and gifted with the ability to move the ball both ways, one of Prasad’s biggest strength was a slower ball which was capable of unparalleled deception when bowled to perfection. The bowler from Bangalore started his career with a wicketless ODI debut against New Zealand in 1994 but made a strong statement in his test debut, picking up a 6-wicket haul against England, albeit in vain.
Famously known for his moment against Aamir Sohail in the 1996 World Cup when he uprooted the opener's off-stump after being sledged, Prasad picked 96 Test wickets and 196 ODI wickets, apart from his 361 wickets in a long first-class career that spanned 13 years for Karnataka.
After the pacer called time on his career in 2005, he took up the role of India's bowling coach in 2007 prior to mentoring the Chennai Super Kings outfit in the Indian Premier League.
With Kumble the head coach of the team, the long term chemistry and understanding between the Karnataka duo could well be banked upon to take India to greater heights.
#1 Zaheer Khan
Arguably the front-runner for the position, Zaheer Khan’s immense knowledge and experience is one of the main reasons as to why the left-arm pacer is the most suitable candidate for the job. Right through his career, the pacer banked on his proficiency in swinging the new ball both ways, coupled with exceptional reverse swing with the old ball.
An Arjuna Awardee, Zaheer’s nagging off-stump line and swing suited his style of bowling particularly well added to toe-crushing, inswinging yorkers. In his international career that spanned 14 years, the pacer's value in the Indian bowling setup was almost second to none.
However, Zaheer’s career was curtailed by injuries and the emergence of bowling talent from domestic cricket, which saw him lose his place in 2005 but a stint with English county club Worcestershire saw the pacer get back to his prime form. An impressive 10-wicket haul against Somerset on debut followed by a 9-wicket innings haul meant the pacer was back amongst national reckoning in 2006.
From 2006, Zaheer’s story was different. The new leader of India’s pace attack, the former Mumbai player performed wherever he step foot and was instrumental in many famous Indian victories. Lethal with the new ball and crafty with the old ball, he was a major contributor to India’s 2011 World Cup victory with 21 wickets in 9 games and India’s numero uno position in Tests for a long time.
A long-serving Ranji player first for Baroda and then for Mumbai, Zaheer announced his retirement from all forms of the game on 15th October 2015 but went on to play for the Delhi Daredevils in IPL 9 as a player cum-mentor. A wealth of experience and a major recommendation from head coach Anil Kumble might just see Zaheer Khan donning the role soon enough.
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