BCCI eyes revamp of fast-bowling structure at Centre of Excellence; Balaji, VRV among frontrunners

In a major step towards strengthening India’s pace-bowling pipeline, the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) in India is reportedly planning to appoint three dedicated fast-bowling coaches at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.

As reported by Times of India, former India pacers Lakshmipathy Balaji and VRV Singh have emerged as leading candidates for two of the roles. Meanwhile, coach P Krishna Kumar, who recently earned praise for his work with the Jammu and Kashmir side, is also understood to be in contention.

Former India bowlers Vinay Kumar and Tinu Yohanan were among those interviewed as well. The position of fast-bowling coach at the CoE has remained vacant since Troy Cooley completed his tenure last year.

As part of the proposed structure, the CoE is expected to divide responsibilities across three specialised roles. One coach could work closely with bowlers coming through the age-group pathway, beginning from the Under-16 level. Another is likely to focus on pacers who are either in the scheme of the Indian team or training at the CoE to further refine their skills.

The third coach is expected to oversee the transition pathway for fast bowlers, ensuring smoother progression from junior cricket to the senior setup. Notably, the CoE already follows a similar multi-coach structure for strength and conditioning experts as well as physiotherapists.The move comes amid growing concerns over the long-term development of India’s emerging fast bowlers.

In 2024, the national selectors had introduced a fast-bowling contract scheme for promising pacers, but the initiative was discontinued a year later.

There has also been increasing discussion around the inability of several young pacers to maintain consistency and progress after making an early impact. The India A programme, once regarded as a strong developmental platform during Rahul Dravid’s tenure at the erstwhile National Cricket Academy (NCA), is no longer viewed with the same effectiveness.

During Dravid’s time overseeing developmental squads, a core group of bowlers worked under close monitoring from him and former bowling coach Paras Mhambrey. The decline of Umran Malik is reportedly being seen as an example of why raw pace talent requires constant guidance, workload management, and technical support.

Apart from the fast-bowling appointments, former Rajasthan wicketkeeper Dishant Yagnik is likely to join the CoE setup as a fielding coach. Meanwhile, Dhananjay Kaushik has reportedly been promoted as the head of sports medicine, replacing Nitin Patel.