Chennai Super Kings cricket academy. (PC: CSK)
Cricket West Indies has announced that seven of their youngsters will undergo specialized training at the Chennai Super Kings Academy.
Assited by Ramesh Subasinghe and assistant coach Rohan Nurse, Kirk McKenzie, Matthew Nandu, and Kevin Wickham — along with current and former West Indies Academy players Teddy Bishop and Jewel Andrew, and former West Indies Under-19 players Jordan Johnson and Ackeem Auguste.
Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, said: “The Chennai Academy will host these seven batsmen and aim to equip them with skills and experience in navigating spinning conditions.
“Our coaches will be on hand to ensure that the learnings in the period can be consolidated and extended to other players in the region through the academy.” The players will engage in a two-day match and three white-ball fixtures as part of their training at the CSK Academy.
They will work alongside experienced coaches, including CSK Academy Director Sriram Krishnamurthy.
Inspired from New Zealand?
Earlier New Zealand has whitewashed India 3-0 and Kiwi middle-order batter Rachin Ravindra went to CSK academy ahead of their one-off Test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida and trained there to get acclimatized to Indian conditions.
It was a superb call by the 24-year-old as he played a stellar innings of 134 (157) in the first Test and then followed it up with an unbeaten 39* in the second innings to help New Zealand chase down 107 to win the Test. Courtesy of his match-winning performances, Ravindra was adjudged Player of the Match for helping New Zealand win their first Test in India after 36 years.
Former India batsman Robin Uthappa has come down heavily on CSK for allowing Ravindra to practice in their academy in Chennai ahead of Test series against India.
“Rachin Ravindra came here and practiced at the CSK Academy. CSK is a beautiful franchise that will always look after its franchise players but a line has to be drawn where the interest of the country comes ahead of your franchise players, especially when he is a foreign player and comes and plays against our country,” Uthappa said on his YouTube channel.
