NEW DELHI: The Indian cricket board (BCCI) has sought the services of Zaheer Khan to groom the next line of fast bowlers in the country. TOI has learnt that the former India fast bowler is slated to hold specialised training camps at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru in the first week of March. The CoE has been without a fast-bowling coach after Troy Cooley’s four-year stint as a bowling coach finished in Dec as he turned 60. BCCI invited applications for the role on Feb 9. The board is yet to announce Cooley’s replacement.

“A batch of fast bowlers has been invited from state associations for a special fast-bowling camp from Feb 28- March 2 at CoE in Bengaluru under the tutelage of Zaheer. Head of cricket at CoE VVS Laxman has taken keen interest in this initiative,” a BCCI source told TOI. “Zaheer is very keen on taking up coaching roles. He was involved with Lucknow Super Giants and believes he can help the next generation of cricketers. It’s a good sign that a fast bowler of his stature has shown interest in BCCI programmes. However, it needs to be seen if he wants to take up a full-time job at CoE as it will require him to commit a lot of time away from his family,” the source said. India’s fast-bowling resources have become thin over the last three years. The options in each format have been very few. The red-ball format particularly has been an area of concern for the selectors and the Indian team management. The job description in BCCI’s invitation for applications cited that the CoE expects its coaches to work closely with the Indian team support staff and devise programmes to groom fast bowlers. The BCCI has preferred home-bred coaches for jobs with the Indian team. The board usually goes by coaches who come through the system and understand the players coming through. Gautam Gambhir’s coaching staff currently has only Sitanshu Kotak who has worked for a while with the NCA (now CoE). It will be interesting to see how much Zaheer wants to commit for a job with the CoE or even the Indian team management.