There is a lot of promise shown by the fast bowlers in India, says Venkatesh Prasad
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Venkatesh Prasad heaped praise on young fast bowlers in India by stating that the emerging bunch is showing a lot of potentials. He stated that Indian fast bowlers have been successful in the last five years and made special note of Bhuvaneshwar Kumar who has proved his class in the World level.
Former Indian pacer Venkatesh Prasad has had his share of experience in the fast bowling department after having played 33 Tests and 161 ODIs since his debut for India in 1996. He was the bowling coach for Kings XI Punjab in the IPL 2018 and also the chief junior selector for the BCCI till March this year.
Prasad was recently in Chandigarh to select the winner of the Red Bull Speedster Challenge which featured eight fast bowlers including Indian U-19 fast bowler Akshdeep Singh. The 48-year-old was all praises for the young squad of fast bowlers who, he believed, showed a lot of
"There is a lot of talent in fast bowling in India and youngsters are showing a lot of promise. When I was the chief junior selector, we picked up bowlers like Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti, who impressed all in the ICC U-19Venkatesh Prasad was the bowling coach for Kings XI Punjab in the IPL 2018 and also the chief junior selector for the BCCI till March this year World Cup in New Zealand. Their ability to try the variations and handle pressure situations was something which helped them.
"A fast bowlerâs role in the team is all about understanding what the team requires apart from understanding the situation of the game. Thatâs how fast bowlers need to play the role and it also depends on their awareness of the game. What is important for a fast bowler is their ability to adapt to different situations," he said.
Prasad is best remembered for his spell in the quarter-final of the 1996 World Cup, in which he dismissed Pakistani opener Aamir Sohail. He has also made a statement in the 1999 Test match against Pakistan where he took five wickets for zero runs. His career boasts of 96 wickets taken in Tests along with another 196 in ODIs. As the cricket world is favouring the T20 format in the recent years, Prasad believes that the true potential of a player is judged by the longer formats.
"For me, to term a player successful depends on his performance in the longer format of the game. I come from the old school of thought and some may differ from my thoughts. It is not that I donât like the shorter format but the point is that there is
Prasad believes that Indian fast bowlers have established themselves in the international stage in the last five years and has high regards for Bhuvaneshwar Kumar who has shown his class at the world level.
âBhuvneshwar Kumar is one of the bowlers who has impressed me. He was part of the Uttar Pradesh team when I was the coach of the team six years ago and he has been able to adapt to different conditions. He tries a lot of variations in his bowling and that makes him impressive,â concluded the former pacer.
