BCCI approach two India legends to lead Training Camp at CoE in Bengaluru

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reached out to former Indian cricket stars Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh to lead specialized short-term training camps at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.

These sessions, lasting four to five days each, aim to prepare promising young bowlers-identified as "targeted players"-for potential senior international roles.

These players are selected based on strong performances in age-group cricket, first-class domestic matches, India A games, and occasional senior team appearances.VVS Laxman, Head of Cricket at the COE, personally contacted his ex-teammates to organize these focused programs. Zaheer Khan, the former left-arm pace spearhead, is already conducting a five-day fast-bowling camp in Bengaluru for emerging seamers on the cusp of the national side or with limited senior exposure.

Harbhajan Singh is finalizing dates for an off-spinners' camp and is enthusiastic about mentoring the next generation. There are also indications that Anil Kumble, India's all-time leading wicket-taker in Tests and ODIs, may be involved in a wrist-spinners' camp.

A BCCI source described this as a positive step, with players who have over 100 Test matches under their belt passing on their expertise to build readiness in the upcoming talent pool. The camps are scheduled before the IPL season begins, allowing participants to join their franchise teams afterward. This revives a tradition from earlier BCCI leadership eras, when legends like Chandu Borde, Erapalli Prasanna, and Syed Kirmani mentored youngsters at zonal academies.

Two former India players apply for Role

Additionally, former India pacers VRV Singh and Sreenath Aravind have applied for the permanent pace bowling coach position at the CoE, following the end of Troy Cooley's tenure due to age limits. Sunil Joshi currently heads the spin bowling department.