Former Test cricketer Harvinder picked as new PCA coaching director
PCA has invited applications for new cricket staff, and aims to hire the coaches and the support staff soon so that more tournaments are conducted in the off-season
The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) has appointed former Test cricketer Harvinder Singh as the coaching director for the upcoming domestic season.
Hailing from Amritsar, the 45-year-old is keeping busy laying out plans for various Punjab age-group and senior teams. Harvinder, whose last assignment was that of national selector, is excited to don the new hat and wants to give back to the sport.
“It has been an amazing journey as a cricketer and I have enjoyed all the roles I have played till now. Obviously, the job of director coaching brings more responsibilities, but I am quite keen to put a solid system in place with the support of PCA office-bearers. We all want Punjab teams to excel in coming seasons and make an impact. Emphasis will be on bringing qualified coaches, trainers, physiotherapists and then conduct specialised camps to prepare for the BCCI tournaments,” said Harvinder, who has played three Test and 16 ODIs for India as a fast bowler.
PCA has invited applications for new cricket staff, and aims to hire the coaches and the support staff soon so that more tournaments are conducted in the off-season. At present, Punjab senior men’s team is off to Dehradun to compete in the Gold Cup.
“PCA will be conducting trials in various districts to select talented fast bowlers. We plan to pick good fast bowlers and organise specialised camps and hone their skills. Similarly, spinners will also be picked during trials and the same drill will be followed,” added Harvinder, who will also be chalking out plans this week for the Punjab women teams.
In the last season, Punjab boys had claimed the U-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy beating Madhya Pradesh in the final. “Title victories are definitely on our radar, but we want to overhaul the system and build a strong base for coming years as well,” felt Harvinder, who has also played for Punjab and Railways.
