Former Australian pacer and MRF Pace Foundation director Glenn McGrath was all smiles when he walked down the memory lane, recalling his association with MRF as it celebrated its 25 year long journey with Cricket Australia. The legendary pace bowler turned nostalgic when he began recollecting his good old days of being trained under Dennis Lillee.
MRF Pace Foundation, one of the leading cricket academies formed with the vision of training pace bowlers, has had a unique partnership with Cricket Australia. The association proved beneficial to budding pacers in both India and Australia.
The Australian legend was seen with MRF’s K.M. Mammen, Arun Mammen, Rahul Mammen and Cricket Australia’s top brass—Troy Cooley, the head coach of the National Cricket Centre, and Ryan Harris, pace bowling coach at the academy.
“What MRF has done is incredible. I am proud to be part of the foundation,” McGrath said while addressing the media during the silver jubilee celebration of the collaboration.
He answered several questions from the journalists on his association with MRF and the new techniques he introduced in fast bowling. “To bowl fast in India is as tough as it gets. The odds are always against you” he said. Noting that his laser-guided precision and stress control techniques helped him to bowl well, he said, “If you don’t have these two, then you are just running in and just hoping.”
On the latest techniques in coaching, McGrath spoke about how it has evolved over the years of just video recordings and manually rewinding the videos to the age of high-resolution computer driven images that easily breaks down the pacer’s performance. “Fast bowlers still remain the same. Hardwork, sticking to basics and reaching the top level is what still exists,” he noted.
Talking about Cricket Australia’s association with MRF and about the Aussies being trained by MRF in India, Cooley said young bowlers, after being trained in India at the MRF, come back much stronger and tougher. “India gives you experience. It makes the bowlers learn tougher situations and bowling at various lengths,” he said.
Talking about injury. Harris, who had recently taken over as Australia’s pace bowling coach, said, “If you have an injury, you have to accept it and move on as trust is more important in bowling.” Harris, a former pace bowler who faced several injuries, admitted that he was prone to injuries.
Rahul Mammen, managing director, MRF Tyres Ltd., said, “We are indeed happy to have this collaboration with Cricket Australia. We have trained 18 bowlers all these years who have played for India and Australia and three of them are currently part of team India.”
MRF's association with Cricket Australia, which began in 1992, is unique as only fast bowlers are trained under the collaboration. Dennis Lillee served as the director of the pace foundation while McGrath was trained under Lillee and then grew to become the director of the foundation. The arrangement between MRF and Cricket Australia in the last 25 years has enabled trainees from Australia to visit the pace foundation every year. Also, trainees from MRF Pace Foundation get to visit the Australian academy for training.
“It is indeed been one heck of a ride and the future beckons,” McGrath said.
