BCCI plans two separate camps for wicketkeepers and spinners
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has planned to organize separate camps for top wicketkeepers and spinners in the coming months in order to keep the bench strength ready for the upcoming Test season. According to reports from Sportsstarlive, these two camps will be held at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
India is scheduled to play 17 Test matches until the middle of 2017 and 13 of which will be on home soil. The extensive amount of cricket has prompted the BCCI to conduct these two camps. The wicketkeepers’ camp is scheduled to hold in three phases and the spinners camp is expected to begin after the national teams return from the West Indies tour.
Kiran More named wicketkeeper coach of NCA
The report also suggests that former Indian wicketkeeper Kiran More has been appointed by the BCCI to groom his current counterparts since NCA doesn’t have a full-time wicketkeeping coach. The 53-year-old has donned the national jersey in 49 Test matches and 94 ODIs. The Baroda-born cricketer has more than 200 international dismissals to his name is also a former national selector.
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With MS Dhoni nearing the twilight of his career and his current successors in Test cricket yet to prove themselves across all formats, the selectors have been asked to identify a potential candidate who could fit in the national team.
More has been invited by the NCA to attend the last week of the ongoing camp of the Under-23 cricketers. He will work with two wicketkeepers of the team and will be assigned around 6-8 wicketkeepers next month.
Narendra Hirwani in charge of spin camp
Former India spinner Narendra Hirwani, who has represented India in 17 Tests and 18 ODIs has been appointed as the bowling coach at the NCA. The report also claims that the 47-year-old leg-spinner will brush up the skills of around 10-12 spinners, to be shortlisted by the national selectors.
The BCCI has already hinted that India’s coaching staff is expected to be appointed prior to the camp and the bowling coach will be asked to monitor the spinner’s progress. The report also says that premier spinners like Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra and Ravindra Jadeja will also be asked to attend the camp.
Standing behind the stumps with gloves on requires some serious set of skills especially for Test cricket. With the advent of the shortest format of the game part-time wicketkeepers have been a trending aspect of it which has worked adversely at the international level. The BCCI wants to revive the role of specialist wicketkeepers.