Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) started the first-ever fast bowling camp at the Tribhuvan University Ground, Kirtipur on Friday with the aim of producing fast bowlers for the future. The camp will conclude on Monday.
Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Development officer and former Sri Lankan fast bowler Rumesh Ratnayake is taking charge of the camp as ACC development officer. Coaches Samson Jung Thapa, Manjur Alam Khan and national team captain Paras Khadka and former captain Binod Das will assist Ratnayake in the camp.
Altogether 17 fast bowlers, including national team members Chandra Saud and Krishna Karki, national women’s team captain Rubina Chhetri to U-16 bowlers Jagdish Chand and Kali Charan Yadav, are participating in the camp. Others included in the camp are Avinash Karna, Saurav Khanal, Ram Naresh Giri, Gopal Singh, Prajesh Bahadur Singh, Jitendra Mukhiya, Sanjog Karna, Jatta Shankar Sarraf, Amar Singh Routela, Ajay Shahani, Arjun Chapagain and Yagyaman Kumal.
“We feel proud to host the fast bowling camp for the first time among the associate nations of the ACC. We are looking for future fast bowlers. That is why we have included U-16 and U-19 players in the camp,” said Ashoknath Pyakuryal, general secretary of CAN. “We are planning to host special camps for batting, fielding and spin bowling in future,” he added.
Speaking at the inaugural function, ACC development officer Ratnayake claimed that it was the first ever fast bowling camp among the associate nations of ACC.
Ratnayake said that he would teach Nepali fast bowlers to keep natural instincts rather than looking for super speed. “We can not be Bret Lee or Michael Holding. Lee, Holding, Rumesh and Paras are different. Their bone structures and muscular strengths are different. So, I want to keep natural instincts and to be fit and intelligent,” said Ratnayake.
Ratnayake recalled his days as the fast bowling coach of Sri Lankan Cricket Board in 1998.
“I was a part of Sri Lankan board as a fast bowling coach. I was only level II coach then and I did not know much about what should be done. I applied very simple structure. I just ask people to go to every corner of Sri Lanka and tap even a person bowling in the street. Fast bowler like Dilhara Fernando was part of it. I had divided them in two strings. The boys in the string ‘A’ used go for national side. I’ll try to apply similar structure here,” said Ratnayake.
He asked Nepal not to expect a miracle but wait for another 10 years.