Team India pacers Irfan Pathan and S Sreesanth are back at their alma mater, MRF Pace Foundation, the training school for aspiring and now fast bowlers recovering from injuries.
Medium-pacers are practising with Aussie legend Dennis Lillee at the MRF Pace Foundation
CHENNAI: Team India pacers Irfan Pathan and S Sreesanth are back at their alma mater, MRF Pace Foundation, the training school for aspiring and now fast bowlers recovering from injuries.
The pace duo's target is common - to be amongst the wickets and be the spearheads of Team India's performance in the forthcoming Twenty-20 World Cup competition in South Africa later this month.
And to get back in shape for another big competition, the first in this format of cricket, Irfan and Sreesanth are training hard, honing their skills and ironing out their flaws, under former Aussie speedster Dennis Lillee and his chief coach TA Sekhar at the Pace Foundation.
Sreesanth has been at MRF since a week now. Sreesanth's problem is specific: the correct use of the non-bowling arm. Irfan, who is back from India A tour of Zimbabwe and Kenya, is training at the foundation for three days.
Irfan, often being projected as a developing all-rounder, said: "I have bowled and batted well in the India A tour. I have regained full match fitness. I will prove my worth in the South Africa event."
Sreesanth, who had a difficult Test series of England said: "I've been working on my bowling. I haven't done greatly in one-dayers but I'll try and come back hard. Hopefully I'll do well in the Twenty20 and get back into the one-day team."
Sreesanth is aiming to make an impact in South Africa, where the Twenty20 tournament begins next Tuesday, with his slower ball. "I've basically been working on my slower ball. Twenty20 is about four overs per bowler and if I get my slower balls in the right areas, you end up getting a lot of wickets."
Sreesanth took nine wickets in three tests in what was India's first series victory in England in 21 years, but also made news by bowling a beamer at Kevin Pietersen and barging his way past England captain Michael Vaughan for which he was fined.
"I'm hoping to stay relaxed (in South Africa) because things happen quickly in Twenty20 and as a bowler one has to think and try it at the right time for results," said Sreesanth.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}