The MRF Pace Foundation will conduct the bi-annual coaches seminar at the MRF House in Chennai on June 16 and 17. The seminar will be along the lines of the coaching course conducted by the Australian Cricket Board. According to a press release from the chief coach at the Foundation TA Sekhar, invitations were sent out to all the associations affiliated to the BCCI to send two of their leading coaches to take part in the seminar.

According to Sekhar, besides the nominated representatives, several former Indian cricketers will be attending the seminar. They include Ashok Mankad, Ashok Malhotra, Madan Lal, Lalchand Rajput, Chandrakant Pandit, Pronob Roy, Bishen Bedi and Yorgraj Singh. The BCCI is sending the director of the National Cricket Academy Hanumant Singh.

The MRF Pace Foundation has assembled a wide range of experts in fields like technique, fitness, physiotherapy, biomechanics, psychology and technological disciplines to present sessions at the seminar. Attending the seminar will be Dennis Lillee whose subject will naturally enough, be pace bowling, Max Pfitzner (physiotherapy), Sandy Gordon (psychology), Richard Done (fitness and training planning), Marc Portus (biomechanics) and Troy Cooley (strength and stability programme). Sekhar was hopeful that the leading Indian coaches would benefit from the concepts taught at the seminar.

Meanwhile, the pre-season camp at the MRF Pace Foundation started on Tuesday under the watchful eyes of Dennis Lillee. The trainees will be monitored and gauged with regard to the fitness and technique while the progress of the existing trainees will also be evaluated. The specialists from Australia have accompanied Lillee during this trip. They will evaluate the existing levels of fitness in the trainees and chart out a programme to be followed in the ensuing season.

Promising fast bowlers from Kenya, Sri Lanka, Australia and the BCCI's National Cricket Academy have arrived for the camp. They include Paul Roffe, Shane Watson, Thilana Fushara and Aruna Bandaranayake. Indian pace bowlers Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad, T Kumaran and Ajit Agarkar are expected to be at the Pace Foundation to derive the maximum benefits from Lillee's coaching as well from the other specialists in their respective fields. The camp will conclude on June 23.

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