New Delhi: “Sir, yakeen nahi ho raha Cummins (Pat), Hazlewood (Josh) aur Starc (Mitchell) kay saath run-up mark kiye hain (I can’t believe I have marked my run-up alongside Hazlewood and Starc),” Ashok Kumar remembered the first conversation he had with his ward, Vasudev Prasad Singh, from Brisbane on July 14.Singh, 20, from Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district, and 18-year-old Abhishek Moond from Rajasthan’s Sikar district trained with Australia’s Test squad for two weeks as part of a long-term partnership between the MRF Pace Foundation and Cricket Australia.MRF Pace Foundation Program Manager and Head Coach M. Senthilnathan said that watching the two youngsters for the first couple of days was an absolute joy.“They were like kids in a candy store, holding each other. They were overwhelmed for the first two days,” Senthilnathan told TimesofIndia.com from Brisbane.
Vasu is from Bihar and Abhishek is from Rajasthan. They come from small towns in our country. Training with Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood was something they could not have imagined even in their wildest dreams.
M. Senthilnathan
“Vasu hails from Bihar and Abhishek from Rajasthan. They hail from small towns in our country. Training with Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood is something they can’t imagine even in their wildest dreams. It’s very important for every fast bowler,” he added.The duo trained from July 13 to July 24 at Cricket Australia’s National Cricket Center (NCC) in Brisbane. They also attended training sessions involving the Australian men’s Test squad at the Allan Border Field.“Getting the chance to train with the Australian senior team was an amazing experience,” Moond told this website.“The whole environment is different. The batters are of the highest quality, so you have to be consistent and keep bowling in the right places. I have learned that I have to put the ball fuller than my usual back-of-a-length.“The bounce and movement is great, and the experience is amazing. Training with players of this caliber is a huge confidence booster. At my age, getting a chance to practice with cricketers whom I have watched since childhood is very special. I’m sure I can learn a lot from them.”
Bihar’s Vasudev Prasad Singh in the nets at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field. (Cricket Australia)
Like Moond, Vasudev Prasad Singh believes the experience goes beyond sharing the nets with Australia’s Test stars. For him, the opportunity is to learn the finer aspects of fast bowling in conditions that reward pace and discipline.“The biggest advantage of this tour is the opportunity to train with the senior team of Australia. We can learn a lot from them. The environment here is very good, and the conditions are good for fast bowling,” said Vasudev Prasad Singh.
For someone who has won most of his formative years matting wickets, it was an experience he will never forget.
Ashok Kumar Coach Vasudev Prasad Singh
“We can bowl long spells, which helps us improve our skills. Exposure like this is extremely important for a cricketer. Bowling to world-class batters in favorable conditions teaches you where to bowl, how to plan your spells and how to set the field.”Ashok Kumar, a former Bihar cricketer who worked with the likes of Sakib Hussain and Mohammad Izhar, two other promising pacers from the state, shares an interesting story about his ward.
Abhishek Moond (centre) with Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc during a training session at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field. (Cricket Australia)
“For someone who has won most of his formative years matting wickets, this is an experience he will never forget. Vasu has represented Bihar at the Under-19 and Under-23 levels and has all the qualities to play for India. He has a very good outswing. He is still raw but will be a ready product in a few years,” says Ashok.Senthilnathan echoed Kumar’s sentiments.“They’re good guys. They’ve got a great work ethic. They’ve been training hard. They’re still raw, but they’re only going to get better from here,” he said.
Emerging pacers Abhishek Moond and Vasudev Prasad Singh visited Australia along with former India fast bowler Tinu Yohannan and MRF Pace Foundation Program Manager and Head Coach M. Senthilnathan for a two-week high-performance programme. (Cricket Australia)
The visit is part of a high-performance exchange program that has connected Indian and Australian cricket for more than three decades, making it one of the longest-running international development partnerships.The MRF Pace Foundation and Cricket Australia have been working together since 1992, establishing the association of Australian pace legend Dennis Lillee with the Foundation after it was established in Chennai in 1987.
Vasudev Prasad Singh (centre) with Australian pacers Josh Hazlewood (left) and Mitchell Starc (right). (Cricket Australia)
The program gives young Indian cricketers exposure to Australian conditions and training methods, while Australian players sharpen their skills in subcontinental conditions. The partnership helped shape many top fast bowlers. Australian greats Glenn McGrath, Mitchell Johnson and Brett Lee are all associated with the Foundation, while Indian stars such as Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan are among those who have benefited from its progress.Looking ahead, Senthilnathan believes the Brisbane stint will prove to be a defining chapter in the youth’s development.
Vasudev Prasad Singh and Abhishek Moond trained with Australia’s Test squad for two weeks as part of a long-standing partnership between the MRF Pace Foundation and Cricket Australia. (Cricket Australia)
“We have a long association with Cricket Australia and it has helped a lot of Indian pacers over the years. We saw what Prafull Hinje and Sakib Hussain did after their exposure here. Prafull spent three weeks training in Brisbane and came back a different bowler. Experiences like this accelerate development. Vasu and Abhishek are still raw, but they have a high character and work ethic over the years. Come on,” he said.