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Former India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey has strongly criticized the BCCI for its management of rising fast bowler Mayank Yadav. Despite an impressive IPL 2024 debut, where Yadav took seven wickets in four matches and delivered the fourth-fastest ball of 156.7 kmph in IPL history, his career has faced an unforeseen setback.
The young right-arm pacer, who was acquired by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for INR 20 lakh in the previous year’s mini-auction, captivated fans and experts alike with his speed and accuracy. His performance fueled calls from many in the cricketing world for his inclusion in the Indian national team.
Paras Mhambrey challenges the BCCI’s strategy regarding Mayank Yadav’s career development
For over three months, 22-year-old fast bowler Mayank Yadav has been recovering from an injury at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). Although he was anticipated to return in the Delhi Premier League (DPL), he chose to withdraw from the tournament and has also been excluded from the forthcoming Duleep Trophy 2024.
BCCI Secretary Jay Shah has announced that Yadav will continue to be monitored closely at the NCA, but emphasized that there are no assurances regarding his selection for the Indian team in the near future, including the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia.
In response to the BCCI’s delay in advancing Yadav’s career, former Indian bowling coach Paras Mhambrey has criticized the board’s handling of the young pacer’s development. Mhambrey argues that keeping Yadav out of competitive play is squandering his potential, and stresses the need for him to participate in first-class cricket to hone his skills and accumulate essential match experience.
Paras Mhambrey was quoted as saying by The Indian Express: “I don’t agree that if he is not ready, just don’t play him. This is the age where he has to bowl. The more you bowl, the more you will have control, you will know your threshold as to how much your body can take. You can’t wrap him up in cotton wool saying he will get injured. We can’t overbowl and burn him out but we have to be smart about how much he should bowl. As a fast bowler, he needs to play first-class cricket.”
Paras Mhambrey further noted, “When you play one season, you understand your bowling. You bowl in different conditions. Physically, you will be tested in different phases of the game. Sometimes, you will have to be on the ground for six sessions. And to be able to bowl with the same intensity in the last session will give you confidence when you play at the international level. I strongly feel Mayank needs to grind it out in the domestic season.”
In the meantime, Paras Mhambrey contended that an overabundance of caution and an excessive focus on injury prevention might impede the development of the Delhi fast bowler. He advocated for a more balanced strategy that would allow the young pace talent to participate in matches and gain valuable experience and confidence from real-game scenarios.
Former Indian bowling coach Paras Mhambrey has attributed Mayank’s recent injury problems to a lack of exposure to red-ball cricket. He emphasized the need to thoroughly evaluate Mayank’s background, including his past cricketing experiences, training practices, and injury history, to better manage his fitness and workload.
Mhambrey noted that at just 22 years old, Mayank’s body is still maturing. He highlighted that the young pacer is in a particularly injury-prone phase of his development. According to Mhambrey, a better understanding of Mayank’s background could help control and mitigate these injuries.
Paras Mhambrey signed off by saying, “You have to check his background. How much cricket has he played? How much has he bowled? We need to go in depth about him, what have been his training methods? How many overs he used to bowl, his history of injuries. Going forward, fitness, technical aspects and workload are going to be the parameters for Mayank.”
