Paras Mhambrey slams BCCI for mishandling Mayank Yadav's career

Former India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey has launched a scathing attack on the BCCI for its handling of emerging fast bowler Mayank Yadav. Despite a dazzling debut in the IPL 2024, where Mayank Yadav showcased his potential with seven wickets in four games and the fourth-fastest delivery of 156.7 kmph in IPL history, his journey has hit an unexpected roadblock.

The young right-arm pacer, who was signed by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for INR 20 lakh in the mini-auction last year, impressed one and all with his pace and precision in the IPL 2024. His performance led many experts and former cricketers to call for his inclusion in the Indian cricket team.

Paras Mhambrey questions BCCI's approach to Mayank Yadav's development

For over three months, the 22-year-old bowler Mayank Yadav has been sidelined, recovering from an injury at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). He was expected to make a comeback in the Delhi Premier League (DPL), but opted out of the tournament and was then overlooked for the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2024.

However, the BCCI secretary Jay Shah has revealed that Mayank Yadav will remain under careful watch at the NCA but made it clear that there are no guarantees regarding his India selection anytime soon, and even for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia later this year.

Reacting to the BCCI’s delay in introducing Mayank Yadav on the global stage, Mhambrey criticized the board’s approach, saying his potential is being wasted by keeping him out of the action. The former Indian bowling coach believes that Mayank Yadav needs to be actively engaged in first-class cricket to develop his skills and gain the much-needed match experience.

You can’t wrap him up in cotton wool saying he will get injured: Paras Mhambrey

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.”

Meanwhile, Paras Mhambrey argued that excessive caution and an overemphasis on injury prevention could hinder the growth of the Delhi lad, as he called for a balanced approach where the young pace sensation can play and learn from real game situations to gain confidence and experience.

His injuries can be controlled, if we understand his background well: Paras Mhambrey slams BCCI's injury-prevention strategy

Even the former Indian bowling coach Paras Mhambrey blamed a lack of red-ball cricket exposure for Mayank’s recent injury issues, stressing the importance of assessing his background, including his previous cricketing experiences, training methods, and injury history, to manage his fitness and workload effectively.

Paras Mhambrey has pointed out that Mayank is just 22 years old and his body is still developing. He added that the young pacer is in that injury-prone age group and his body has not completely developed yet, so his injuries ‘can be controlled if his background is well understood’.

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.”