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Australian pace legend Glenn McGrath said on Saturday though India has been producing pace bowlers for years, there is a lot of raw fast-bowling talent yet to be unearthed in the country.
Reiterating its commitment towards nurturing fast bowling talent in Indian cricket, the MRF Pace Foundation proudly unveiled the 'Ace of Pace' trials across the country. The trials marked a significant milestone in its continuing endeavour to unearth future pace bowling stars and offer them the opportunity to train under expert guidance in their quest to become the next speed sensations for India. The trials, held in four major cities - Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai, witnessed overwhelming response, with thousands of registrations received and over 1,000 aspiring fast bowlers shortlisted to showcase their pace and skill at the venues. From each city, the top 20 bowlers, displaying exceptional speed and talent, were handpicked to advance to the finals, which were held in Chennai on March 9, as per a press release from MRF Pace Foundation. Three standout talents - Jaskaran Singh, aged 20 from Rajasthan - Sriganganagar, Mohammed Izhar aged - 20 from Bihar - Birpur, Muhammad Sarfraj, aged - 20 from Ranchi - Jharkhand were selected from among the many aspiring bowlers, to train for free at the coaching facility. These bowlers will be enrolled in the academy to hone and develop their skills under the guidance of the facility's director, the legendary Australian fast bowler, Glenn McGrath, and Chief Coach, M Senthilnathan. Commenting on the remarkable talent on display, Glenn McGrath highlighted, "India has been producing great pacers for years now. However, there is a lot of raw talent and potential in the country yet to be unearthed. During the 'Ace of Pace', we got a glimpse of that immense pool of talent available in the country. It is wonderful to see such young bowlers, almost all of them without formal training or coaching, being able to express their skill and raw pace so well. I look forward to helping these young talents realize their full potential in their journey towards cricketing excellence." Established in 1987 to address the scarcity of fast bowlers in Indian cricket with Aussie legend Dennis Lillee as its director, this Chennai-based facility has been a beacon of excellence, grooming 15 bowlers who have gone on to proudly represent the nation on the international stage, including iconic names like Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad, Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel. (ANI)
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