Fri. Mar 29th, 2024
Basil Thampi

Former Australian fast bowler, Glenn McGrath at a function to celebrate the silver jubilee of the association between MRF Pace Foundation and Cricket Australia on Monday on Monday praised the young pace bowler Basil Thampi that he has come on very well and has learnt a lot in the academy. He feels that though fast bowling is hard in Indian conditions, talented bowlers like Basil Thampi are doing very well.

McGrath said, “The Indian attack has very good bowlers now and the emergence of names like Basil Thampi and a few others is only going to help the team in the long run.”  He also pointed out the three players Thampi, Ankit Rajpoot and Aniket Choudhary who have been selected in the India ‘A’ team on its tour to South Africa.

About opting the job of coach after retiring from International Cricket, he said, “It is delightful to know I made it to the foundation as a trainee in the first batch of the programme. Life has come full circle, where today I am still with the foundation, not as a trainee but as its director. It is a great feeling. Also, the Academy has been at the forefront of honing skills of young fast bowlers making them ready to play for India.”

Also, he called Mitchell Starc as the best fast bowler currently and said, “His ability to bowl attacking lengths with the new ball and reverse the older ball at over 150 kph makes him a difficult proposition for batsmen.

“Australia is lucky to be blessed with a formidable line-up of pacemen including Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and James Pattinson.”

Head coach of Australia’s National Cricket Centre Troy Cooley also admitted that the ties between MRF Pace Foundation and CA have been beneficial for the bowlers from both the countries. “The Aussie pace bowlers including McGrath, Brett Lee and the others who came here, gained a lot and learnt to perform in testing conditions,” he said.

 

 

 

By Naman