MRF Pace Foundation Chennai

The MRF Pace Foundation came into existence in August 1987, with legendary Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee at the helm of its affairs. The Foundation is dedicated to bringing forth genuine fast bowlers for India. It selects, nurtures and scientifically develops the cricketing skills of the talented youngsters, by providing good training. The training extends over a period of a few years, during which the trainees receive inputs on correct diet, exercise routines and net practices. Some of the fast bowlers, who trained with the MRF Pace Foundation, went on to represent the national Indian cricket team.

Famous Trainees of MRF Pace Foundation:

The trainees of MRF Pace Foundation, who made it to the national Indian cricket team, include Javagal Srinath, Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, Venkatesh Prasad, Rudra Pratap Singh, Zaheer Khan and S. Sreesanth. Some time back, Sachin Tendulkar was also sent to the Foundation to acquire training in fast bowling. However, Lillee suggested him to focus on batting instead, which worked! Apart from Indian players, the Foundation has attracted international players too – Chaminda Vaas, Heath Streak and Bret Lee have also sharpened their fast bowling skills at MRF Pace Foundation.

Facilities:

MRF Pace Foundation offers world-class training to its trainees. The training facilities of the Foundation include an Olympic-sized swimming pool, used by the trainees for strengthening and recovery exercise. It also has a gym, which consists of extensive and sophisticated equipment tailor-made for the specific workouts for the pace bowlers. The grounds offer four turf pitches with varying speeds – slow, moderate, quick and artificial – to simulate actual match situations. This helps the trainees to play at different surfaces and conditions, which is prerequisite when one competes at the international level.