Venkatesh Prasad: A Coach And A Gentleman
By Gaurang
October 27 2008
One man who should get lots of credit for this is current India bowling coach, Bapu Krishnarao Venkatesh Prasad. Since Prasad has taken over the role of bowling coach in the aftermath of India’s disastrous performance in the 2007 World Cup, and the unceremonious exit of its controversy plagued coach, Greg Chappell, and his side-kick-cum-bowling coach, Ian Fraser, India have gone from having pace bowlers with promise, but inconsistent performance, to having a squad of fast bowlers who deliver nearly every time. They all seem to know exactly what their strengths and weaknesses are, and more importantly they all seem to be bowling to a plan, and as an unit.
What is also very heartening is that all of Prasad’s wards seem to be learning new skills and adding to their repertoire. For example Ishant Sharma, the youngest member of the squad, has added a slower delivery, and an out-swinger to his natural in-swing and off-cutters, making him much more effective as a wicket taking bowler. India has also been able to reverse swing the ball much earlier, and much more effectively than the Australians. This has been achieved by a combination of perfect seam and wrist positioning, achieved by hard work and practice and not by any dubious means.
This type thinking and ability to put into practice theories about swing and seam, were first evidenced under Prasad when Zaheer Khan, S. Sreesanth and R.P. Singh demolished England in England with their pace combined with unique swing angles that left the English players, normally among the best players of swing and seam, grasping for answers.
Later in Australia on a lively WACA pitch in Perth R.P. Singh, Irfan Pathan and Ishant Sharma combined to out bowl an Australian pace battery that included Brett Lee, Shaun Tait, Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark.
Finally, on a quite docile bowling track in Mohali, Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma combined to again out bowl an Australian pace attack, which once again included Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Shane Watson and Peter Siddle.
What is important to note is that the pitch conditions do not seem to matter, whether it is bouncy like Perth or swingy like Trent Bridge or just a good batting track like Mohali is immaterial. Also noteworthy is the fact that not just one or two Indian bowlers, but rather the whole squad, including Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan, R.P. Singh, Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma have raised their game and bowled with pace and skill under Venky’s tutelage.
One of the things that could explain this impact that Prasad has had on the Indian bowlers is the fact that at only 38 years old he is more like an elder brother, than a distant coach/father figure to the bowlers. Another factor is the absolute integrity of the man, and his genuine concern for his bowlers. This is often communicated in subtle ways, but can have a big impact on whether what the coach is trying to teach is accepted and internalized by the players.
One example unrelated to cricket that demonstrates the innate decency of the man is when he stopped to help an accident victim lying on the side of the road and rushed him to the hospital where the doctors credited him with probably helping to save the man’s life. When asked about this heroic act, Prasad dismissed it as simply doing his duty. In cases like this actions speak louder than words and based on that India’s current bowling coach is both and outstanding coach and gentleman.
Prasad is indeed proving very beneficial.....
However, I think this has also been the product of the "critical mass" of bowlers trained at the MRF Pace Foundation....
These were the guys who produced the odd Vivek Razdan 5-fer or a very useful debut series for Abey Kuruvilla or the fire of J Srinath and the tremendous variety of cutters of Prasad himself....
But wait: the BCCI in its infinite wisdom have cut off ties with the MRF pace foundation, just this year I think....
Almost every guy(till Sangwan I think) have had their schooling at MRF and this umbilical tie has been cutoff...
The BCCI have nominated the NCA as the sole pace bowler factory with B Arun as bowler coach...
This could be the proverbial shot that killed the golden goose....
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008:10:27:18:08:37 by ananthd.
It is like cutting your nose to spite your face... typical BCCI babu-giri...
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ICL Ko Support Karo Yaro...
BCCI Ko Joote Chappal Maro....
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Tendulkar is the greatest cricketer of all time
Just wanted to add this link here so his good deed is remembered.
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ICL Ko Support Karo Yaro...
BCCI Ko Joote Chappal Maro....
Cricket Australia immediately bought his contract out and had him coaching the Aussies...
But Venky has OUT COACHED Troy...yet AGAIN...(he did that in Perth too)... yet our media has nary a word of praise for poor old Venkatesh Prasad...
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ICL Ko Support Karo Yaro...
BCCI Ko Joote Chappal Maro....
India - World Cup winners 2011!!!
Champions Trophy winners 2013!!!
Congrats to Indian team and all Indian fans!
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ICL Ko Support Karo Yaro...
BCCI Ko Joote Chappal Maro....
Of course MRF and Lillee and TA Shekhar etc. also deserve credit..
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ICL Ko Support Karo Yaro...
BCCI Ko Joote Chappal Maro....
That was the type of ball that Venky Prasad used to get many of his wickets... clearly Ishant has been learning a lot from Venky...
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ICL Ko Support Karo Yaro...
BCCI Ko Joote Chappal Maro....
Typical!
India - World Cup winners 2011!!!
Champions Trophy winners 2013!!!
Congrats to Indian team and all Indian fans!
Yet BCCI does NOTHING....
MUMBAI: India would benefit from having a specialist bowling coach, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said on Friday.
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The Indian cricket board sacked Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh as bowling and fielding coaches in October after the country’s early exit from the Twenty20 World Cup in England and the Champions Trophy in South Africa.
India climbed to the top of the test rankings for the first time in December but the team has struggled to establish supremacy in one-day international cricket.
“To some extent it does hurt not having a bowling coach. If you have a specialist coach he is always interacting with the bowlers and trying to get the best out of them,” Dhoni told a news conference on the eve of the team’s departure to Bangladesh.
“He (coach Gary Kirsten) has to look after everything: he has to sit and talk to the batsmen, bowlers, fielders, build strategies and look after team building.”
The Indian board has recruited former Australian fielding coach Mike Young as fielding consultant but has not decided whether to recruit a specialist bowling coach.
India will start the new year with a triangular one-day series involving Sri Lanka and Bangladesh from Jan. 4 followed by two test matches against Bangladesh.
Batsman Sachin Tendulkar has opted out of the tri-series to save himself for the two tests.
If he couldn't get his own country's bowler to perform...what chance has he with Indian bowlers... but Kirsten wanted someone he could trust..and who he had a long history with...
Donald and Hadlee who both expressed interest were considered too high profile...(fair enough after the Greg Chappell episode)...but why pick Simons? Venky should have been reinstated...
India - World Cup winners 2011!!!
Champions Trophy winners 2013!!!
Congrats to Indian team and all Indian fans!
BCCI who make ZILLIONS of Rupees can't even hire a decent long term bowling coach...
He was the man responsible behind the scenes for the Indian pace bowling success here last time...
dhoni has become an even bigger god....so forget prasad....he ain't coming back until 2013
Quote:shilpa
Dhoni doesn't like Venkatesh Prasad ( or Robin)....so they are out.
dhoni has become an even bigger god....so forget prasad....he ain't coming back until 2013
Do you have some evidence of this... or just a gut feeling?
Quote:Birbal
Do you have some evidence of this... or just a gut feeling?
there is hardly ever evidence for such things...you must be a lawyer to be talking like that
![[:wor kid:]](/phorum-5.1.15/mods/smileys/images/13.gif "[:wor kid:]")
but it is more than gut feel. It's reconstruction of what MIGHT have happened knwoing perosnalities
they ( Prasad and Robin)...must have been diluting dhoni's authority a bit for granted...."we know you kid you just started playing when we were seniors in the side...type of patronizing stuff"....
so he got them out
Ganguly also didn;t last under Dhoni for same reason while the meek/ mild duo of Dravid and VVSL did.
Tendulkar off-course is God....he lives in his own heaven
In Zaheer, Umesh, Ishant, Praveen Kumar, India has the making of a very good pace attack...needs someone to guide and nurture it...
And needs someone to place attacking fields and bowl wicket to wicket...not defensive mindset and outside off...like Dhoni... and Strauss in this match...
The bowlers were doing great and the results were showing..It also masked our beginning of our batting decline for a while.
we need to bring him & robin singh again asap.
India - World Cup winners 2011!!!
Champions Trophy winners 2013!!!
Congrats to Indian team and all Indian fans!
England had no such inspiration....