Mindset of Indian fast bowlers is changing: Ian Pont

Bengaluru, October 6: Ian Pont has good amount of success as a bowling coach. The Englishman has been imparting lessons on how to increase pace combined with accuracy over the last three years through Ultimate Pace Foundation (UPF).

Pont, who coached international teams like Bangladesh and associated with top-of-the-shelf pacers like Dale Steyn, will conduct clinics across India in cities like Gurgaon and Vadodara to help aspiring Indian quicks gain in experience and skill ahead of sterner tests.

Pont took some time off from his hectic schedule to talk to Mykhel.com about pace bowling, UPF, contemporary quick men among others.

Excerpts:

UPF....how's it coming along over the last three years?

I started the UPF in Bengaluru in January 2014. Since then we have had 14 camps and have others planned. It's tough without a sponsor but we have spread the word to Delhi, Pune, Vadodara and Hyderabad.

The coaching is based on my Four Tent Pegs developed form 20 years of research and how technical fast bowling shares many crossovers with javelin and baseball pitching - both sports which I have taken part in.

Our website www.ultimatepacefoundation.com has had more than 220,000 visits in this time. Unlike other well-funded places like MRF Pace Foundation, UPF works exclusively on developing speed and teaching bowlers how to bowl quicker and more accurately.

You are a regular to India in this period, have you noticed any change in the approach of young Indian bowlers?

Indian bowlers bowl far too much in my view. Often they bowl for hours on end and get very little in return. It becomes very hard to develop talent without technical input and interaction.

When I first started coaching in India, players were hesitant to respond and really just sat there. But now, their mindset towards learning fast bowling as changed. I believe that you should coach others as you wish to be coached yourself.

In the present Indian set up, pacers get as much significance as spinners. Glad to see this cultural shift within cricket?

It is great to note that India is focusing less on spin to win matches. It is terrific to see quicks doing well. But the challenge of any great quick is to take wickets overseas and win Tests in foreign conditions.

The second thing is producing bowlers regularly bowling 150 kph to challenge the best batting techniques. We have yet to witness either yet, so India has work to do in this respect. As I said there are some good signs and it would be good to see the world's fastest coming out of India soon.

Indian pacers Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvenshwar Kumar and Mohammad Shami

Your take on the current frontline Indian pacers?

Umesh Yadav: He has been a bit inconsistent but has genuine pace. I would like to see him get some role clarity in his bowling - whether he is a strike bowler or a containing-bowler? I am unsure if he is clear himself.

Mohd Shami: He has shown real signs of being a world class bowler. My view is, perhaps, he has lacked confidence at times because when things haven't quite gone his way, he has moved away from his core skills of attacking off-stump. If you have pace and aggression, a key part of fast bowling is hitting your bowling areas hard despite the pitch conditions.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar: He has developed into a fine fast-medium bowler. With Jasprit Bumrah, he can develop a great partnership. Whilst Test cricket, ODI and T20 require differing skills, I feel Kumar offers enough quality to be formidable across the formats.

Jasprit Bumrah: He is someone with fantastic control. Whilst neither Kumar or Bumrah are rapid, they both have made good names in white ball cricket. There is no reason to think they cannot do the same in red ball cricket - overseas too.

We have seen some quicks like Varun Aaron are getting frequently injured. Do you think injury management and support system still has to be developed?

Injuries in fast bowling is a part of the deal. They suffer from back injuries, stress fractures and knee problems. The strength and conditioning is a vital part of keeping a bowler 'on the park'. It is important not to over bowl and to monitor the correct workloads.

International cricketers these days are well versed in doing the right things and a player must always take responsibility for their own career. Varun Aaron has struggled to maintain a regular spot due to injuries.

He might simply be one of the unlucky fast bowlers. But it is also worth looking at whether his programme helps him become less fragile and whether his technique contributes to any of those issues.

Back to your plans, you have been associated with several international teams with Bangladesh latest in the list. You were linked with the Delhi coach's role. Any desire to return to international cricket or more structured coaching?

I have been coach at three ICC World Cups and most recently with Bangladesh. But I have decided my future is in developing talent rather than being a 'coach with a mitt' warming up Test bowlers and drinking tea on the balcony.

I was interviewed for the New Zealand fast bowling role after Shane Bond left and my name was linked with the England bowling coach role twice previously.

Last month my name was linked to the head coach role with Delhi in the Ranji Trophy, too. But I feel any team coaching roles will be more franchised T20 cricket having won the BPL (Bangladesh Premier League) twice as head coach in 2012 and 2013.

It would be great to get an IPL gig at some stage. I am happy to be a pioneer in pace and inspire others to want to bowl fast and coach it too.