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BCCI: Building a strong red-ball bowling pool targets endurance

The BCCI, under the leadership of the AjitAgarkar-led selection committee, is starting on a crucial mission: creating a pool of bowlers, wicketkeepers, and batters who can thrive in the demanding environment of first-class cricket. This initiative aims to address a long-standing challenge in the Indian cricket team, where finding bowlers, especially pacers, who can consistently handle red-ball rigors has been an ongoing concern.

The BCCI committee is actively scouting the country for promising talents, as per the Times of India. For example, Khaleel Ahmed, who had not played in the first-class format before, was urged to represent Rajasthan in the Ranji Trophy this year. In a similar vein, Delhi's Mayank Yadav was chosen, but regrettably an injury kept him from competing for the Ranji Trophy. Arshdeep Singh has also been in talks about getting more involved in red-ball cricket.

As a further demonstration of their dedication to developing a competitive bowling pool, the BCCI implemented special central contracts for fast bowlers on the advice of the selection committee. This initiative aims to financially support and incentivize young talents like Umran Malik, Akash Deep (who recently debuted against England), Karnataka's VijaykumarVyshak, VidwathKaverappa, and YashDayal.