Bowling coach feels Munaf lacks intensity

Keep me informed on selection - Prasad

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan at Manchester

August 29, 2007

"I am pretty happy with his fitness ... [but some one needs] to make sure that he is bowling with the same intensity that he was bowling earlier while playing for the country." © Getty Images

Venkatesh Prasad, India's bowling coach, has said the selectors should have consulted him before deciding to pick Munaf Patel for the ongoing one-day series.

Munaf, who missed the Test series because of a back strain, was included in the one-day squad as a replacement for Sreesanth. Prasad said he was "pretty happy" with his fitness but suggested that he wasn't bowling with the same intensity as earlier.

"He has not played much cricket but what's important is that the selectors need to talk to me on how a bowler is bowling," he said. "It's important to have a good communication and be proactive in terms of fast bowling. When I'm handling the fast bowling it's important [the selectors] have a talk with me on how one is doing and how one needs to be going about it. It's a proposal I'm giving to the board."

Before joining the squad Munaf last played in May, against Bangladesh in Mirpur. He played two games during the Diamond Jubilee Tournament organised by the Karnataka Cricket Association before being selected for this series. He has picked up four wickets in two games against England but been profligate enough to concede 8.23 runs per over.

"I'm pretty happy [with his fitness]," said Prasad. "But I need to know from the bowler and know how he's bowling. I've been travelling and there needs to be somebody else to make sure that he is bowling with the same intensity that he was bowling earlier while playing for the country."

Prasad felt that fielders dropping "easy catches" had not helped India's new-ball bowlers. However he felt that they needed to work hard on their pace-variations, especially while bowling in the death.

"We're talking about that. The yorker percentage has been pretty good but change of pace is something we're working on. We don't normally practice slower balls at the nets but it's something we need to do. We also need to make sure they are managed well between those matches. They need to be given time for rest and recovery."

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan is assistant editor of Cricinfo

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