Fountain launches training camp for coaches

NCA to host regional coaches to improve fielding standards.

KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will launch a short fielding camp for regional head coaches and fielding coaches as the national fielding coach, Julien Fountain, looks to improves the country’s standards in the field.

The camp, which gets underway from Thursday at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore, is being staged after Pakistan’s poor fielding show continues at international level as well as sub-standard show in domestic events.



“The idea is to share knowledge with regional coaches as to how they can improve the fielding standard at very basic level,” a PCB official told The Express Tribune before adding that it was necessary that work was carried out on younger age groups instead of focusing on just the national and first-class teams.

“The idea is to improve the system, and not just a few individuals. Sadly, whenever there are calls for improvement, only the national team remains the focus which is why we’re lagging behind others in the fielding department. Until and unless we improve things at youth level, there won’t be an improvement.”

Meanwhile, former Test player and Karachi’s head coach Azam Khan welcomed the project, saying that it will be the first occasion that domestic coaches will get a chance to learn from a foreign coach associated with the national team.

“It’s a great move by the PCB to involve all local coaches in the project as it will give us an opportunity to learn different things and share what we think about fielding and its standards,” said Khan.

“This could help us immensely and there will be a proper line of direction to follow when lifting the standard in one of the key aspects of modern-day cricket.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2012.