BCCI plans major pace-bowling revamp, three new coaches likely to join Centre of Excellence

The Board of Control for Cricket in India is preparing for a major overhaul of its pace-bowling development structure. In a bid to strengthen India’s fast-bowling bench and tackle the growing injury concerns surrounding young pacers, the BCCI is planning to appoint three specialised pace-bowling coaches at its Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The move comes at a crucial time, with several emerging fast bowlers struggling to maintain fitness and consistency despite showing immense promise at the domestic and IPL levels. The board believes a more structured coaching system can help produce a larger pool of match-ready pacers for all formats of the game.

Focus on long-term fast-bowling development

The revamped setup is expected to focus heavily on workload management, injury prevention and technical improvement. Over the last few seasons, India has seen multiple young pacers spend long periods on the sidelines because of recurring injuries. Bowlers like Umran Malik and Mayank Yadav have impressed with raw pace but have also faced repeated fitness setbacks, raising concerns about their long-term development.

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The BCCI now wants dedicated coaches to closely monitor young quicks and guide them through different stages of their careers. The Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru is likely to become the hub for grooming fast bowlers, with specialised training programmes being introduced after the IPL season concludes. The board is reportedly aiming to create a system that consistently produces backup options for the national team.

Balaji and VRV Singh are among the leading contenders

Former India pacers Lakshmipathy Balaji and VRV Singh have emerged as strong contenders for the new coaching roles. Both have considerable experience working with young bowlers in domestic and franchise cricket setups. Apart from them, former India and state-level pacers like Vinay Kumar, P Krishna Kumar and Tinu Yohanan are also being considered for the revamped unit.

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The changes are expected to mark the beginning of a broader restructuring process within India’s cricket development system following the departure of former pace-bowling coach Troy Cooley.