Former India bowling coach Bharat Arun has been excellent in developing and nurturing young fast bowlers. He nurtured a young, raw talent, Mohammed Siraj, during his time with the India national cricket team. Arun was part of the India coaching staff that won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) in 2020-21.
Bharat Arun first recognized Mohammed Siraj’s talent when he was bowling in a net session in Hyderabad in 2017. From there, he helped the fast bowler earn a place in India’s Test team in 2020. Now Arun is looking to make another Siraj.
“Siraj is an amazing story” – Bharat Arun shares his first insight about Mohammed Siraj
Speaking to Indian Express, Bharat Arun praised Mohammed Siraj’s journey, and he also stressed that young bowlers can emulate him in their own way, and that can help Indian cricket. Arun, along with former head coaches Ravi Shastri and R Sridhar, runs a cricket academy named Coaching Beyond in Chennai and Hyderabad.
“Siraj is an amazing story for other young upcoming fast bowlers to emulate. And in our own way, we want to do something from Coaching Beyond. It’s not only a challenge for us, but I think it’s also a way to do something for Indian cricket.”
“And more than anything, picking a talented guy and giving him the right kind of inputs at the right time. By inputs I don’t just mean technical inputs, it’s going to be tactical, it’s going to be physical, it’s going to be mental as well,” Arun told The Indian Express.
Bharat Arun shares his verdict on young fast bowlers
The former India bowling coach also stressed that there is a lot of talent in India and there are a lot of fast bowlers in the country, and they do not have the best facilities in the country for nutrition, so they need proper attention as well as good training.
“There are a lot of fast bowlers in this country. And most of these fast bowlers across the country don’t have facilities.”
“Even if they are exceptionally talented, there is a lack of facilities for them. First of all there is the affordability factor. Sometimes there are bowlers who come from different backgrounds, and they are not able to afford it. Or they do not have access to any good inputs to hone their skills.”
“I think they are exceptionally good there” – Bharat Arun on India’s bowling attack
Referring to Auqib Nabi who has performed brilliantly for Jammu and Kashmir in recent times, Arun also said that some excellent fast bowlers have emerged in recent years and some talented bowlers are hidden and they will be challenging in the near future.
“So I think looking at the recent past in Indian cricket, I think there are exceptionally good bowlers hidden in different corners of our country. And I think it will be an interesting challenge to harness that potential,” he said.
He concluded by saying that he enjoyed his time as coach of the Men in Blue, “Continuing as a coach for India, yes, I have had my tenure with the team. It was a very enjoyable stint. I think there is a lot of scope for work around all this to contribute more to the development of cricket in the country.”
