Young English pacers begin training under Lillee

Chennai, Feb 7 (UNI) Nineteen up and coming fast bowlers, including six from the English Cricket Academy (ECA), began their training stint under pace guru Dennis Lillee at the MRF Pace Foundation here today.

The training session under Lillee's tutelage would go on for about 17 to 20 days, MRF Pace Foundation Chief Coach T A Sekar told UNI.

Lillee said ''initially, we will concentrate on these overseas players for the next one week. We will go back to the normal routine with the Indian trainees after that,'' he told UNI.

However, one of the ECA trainees, Leicestershire seamer Stuart Broad, left without meeting the pace guru following an SOS from Australia asking him to join the England squad for the CB Tri-series finals after he landed in the city on Monday evening.

Lillee, the consultant coach of the foundaion, arrived here from Perth for the camp which included trainees from the English counties.

Surrey bowling coach and former England pacer Geoff Arnold, known as the 'Horse,' was also at the foundation along with his trainees Neil Saker and Jade Dernbach.

Sekar said the MRF Pace Foundation was in the process of finalising the Memorandum of Understanding with the English and Wales Cricket Board.

''We have been training their fast bowlers for the last four years. Apart from this, the English counties are also sending their up and coming bowlers to hone their skills here,'' he added.

The trainees and the coaches who have arrived for the camp were -- English Cricket Academy: Stuart Barnes, Tim Bresnan, Luke Evans, Amjad Khan, Graham Onions, Tom Smith. Support staff: Kirk Russell (Physio), Ois Gibson (Asst bowling coach).

Nottinghamshire: Paul Franks, Mark Foottit, James Maycock, Dilal Shafayat. Mick Newell (coach).

Surrey: Neil Saker, Jade Dernbach. Geoff Arnold (coach).

Warwickshire: James Anyon, Timothy Goenewald. Stephen Perryman (coach).

Middlesesx: Chris Wright, Chris Whelan.

Essex: Graham Napier, Tony Palladino, Maurice Chambers. Ian Pont (coach).

UNI