Irfan, Sreeshanth tuning up for Twenty-20 World Cup

Chennai, Sep 4 (UNI) South Africa-bound pacers Irfan Pathan and Shantakumaran Sreesanth are back at their alma mater, MRF Pace Foundation, the training school for aspiring fast bowlers after recovery from injuries.

The pace duo's target is common: to be amongst the wickets and be the spearheads of Team India's performance in the forthcoming Twenty-20 world cup competition in South Africa later this month.

And to get back in shape for another big competition, the first in this format of cricket, Irfan and Sreesanth are training hard, honning their skills and ironing out their flaws, under pace Guru, former Aussie speedster Dennis Lillee and his chief coach T A Sekhar at the Pace Foundation. Sreeshanth has been at MRF since a week now.

Sreeshanth's problem is specific: the correct use of the 'non bowling arm and working on his 'yorker' delivery. Ifran, who is back from India A tour of Zimbabwe and Kenya, has been training at the Foundation for three days before joining the India Squad for Twenty-20 world cup along with Sreeshanth.

''It's a great challenge for bowlers and they have a big role to play with the onu on them to pick a few early wickets in the batsmen oriented game'', Sreeshanth said about the new format of cricket.

Irfan, often being projected as a developing all rounder, said '' I have bowled and batted well in the India A tour. I have regained full match fitness. I will prove my worth in the South Africa event.'' Sreesanth, who had a poor Test series in England with just nine wickets from three Tests was in the news for wrong reasons like unwittingly unleashing a beamer at England batsman Kevin Pietersen and a spat with captain Michael Vaughan also said '' I learnt it the hard way I shouldn't cross the line.'' UNI