Young arrives with fresh ideas,different bat

As the Indians went through their fielding drills before the start of the final days play against Sri Lanka on Sunday,Mike Young sat beyond...

As the Indians went through their fielding drills before the start of the final days play against Sri Lanka on Sunday,Mike Young sat beyond the boundary line observing the men he would be training soon. The American-born former baseball pro,whose appointment as fielding coach of the Australian side was seen as a revolutionary move in cricket,will be with the Indian team during the T20 and ODI series against Sri Lanka.

The 54-year-old has already changed into the India blues as he speaks about his second high-profile job since he put baseball on the backburner nine years ago. This might sound like a cliche,but Im being very honest when I say that I am quite excited about this assignment, says the coach,who first came in touch with cricket after moving to Australia where he had moved to promote baseball.

The out-of-the-box move to bring in the highly-evolved catching and throwing skills of baseball to cricket by appointing Young had worked for Australia and New Zealand,and with the American expert out of contract earlier this year,coach Gary Kirsten suggested his name to the BCCI.

Young had earlier had a stint with Hyderabads IPL franchise Deccan Chargers last year. I know some of the Indian players from being with the Deccan Chargers. I am really looking forward to getting to know these guys and working with them, he said.

One of the stand-out features of Youngs fielding drills have been his use of the baseball bat when it comes to catching practice. As the baseball bat is round,it puts more revolutions on the ball,which makes it harder to catch. If players can hold on to balls hit off a baseball bat,the ones coming off a cricket bat will be easier to catch, says Young,who hasnt decided on a long-term commitment to Indian cricket yet.

Regardless of the tenure,Young says he is a professional who only believes in improving the team he is with. I am here only to help the Indian players improve their game,I am not here to give them inside information about the Australian players. I had earlier worked with the New Zealand team but didnt discuss them with the Aussies. But if my work helps the Indian players lift their game and beat Australia,thats perfectly fine, says the one-time national coach of Australias Olympic baseball team.

After stints with the two of the most athletic teams in the world Australia and New Zealand Young will now be dealing with cricketers who arent quite known for their athleticism. Is this his most challenging assignment? Young shakes his head vigorously. That is not the way I look at it,they are a talented bunch of fielders, he says as the Indian players take the field.