Region or diet– Region does not make a difference alone, as much as the people from there. In Punjab, the people are better built, be it diet or work. We've often perceived Punjabis and Haryanvis as large and muscular (in school, we even had a few lessons on Haryanvis who ate 5 times as much as the people from Uttar Pradesh, for instance) so one may think they're the best raw material. As for diet, there should be enough to add muscle and increase fitness, and it can be any diet that does the job.
Body build– Build does make a difference. Sami's a small man and yet fast, but he sprays the ball all around, so his pace isn't of much use. Malinga isn't as fast as Sami, while we've seen what an easy target Agarkar has been. Not to mention Harvinder Singh, who, luckily for the team, didn't play too many matches. However, one doesn't have to be a Mr. Universe to be a tearaway pacer– rather, that would reduce his pace. The contender just has to have enough muscle to hurl the ball faster than normal, without loading the body too much. Flexibility and reflexes also play an important part in pace.
Role models– So what if there are no Indian role models? Don't aspiring cricketers get thrilled by a Shoaib Akhtar or Brett Lee or a Wasim Akram or Waqar Younis? These are the role models they need. The real problem is the lack of proper coaching. For far too many years we see the so-called Indian Way Of Coaching being propagated, which kills all pace hopes. That laughable model emphasises too much on seam and swing alone, and pace does not seem to matter. Not to mention the infamous "Spin is our main strength" theory. That's often had the selectors picking spinners in bucketfuls and pacers just making up the numbers. Even with Kapil, Prabhakar and Srinath, we saw three spinners picked at home, and Srinath had to sit out all the time. Now, having seen what kind of an impact pace can make in a match, young bowlers should be coached how to hold onto very high pace without burning out. Coaches should stop being conservative.
Aggression– That's something you'll find anywhere, but it's not enough. Agarkar is aggressive, but his lack of build (not to mention technique and bad choice of deliveries) weaken him a great deal. At his best, he can be an innocuous medium-pacer, but falls apart when he tries to be an attacking fast bowler. You'll find it more conspicuous in some places in India, so Punjab comes back, not to mention remote areas of Gujarat, as well as, maybe, Bengal.
Srinath– He was genuinely quick, but not a record-breaker in pace. He was quite effective, as we have seen in one eight-wicket haul against the South Africans. Surprisingly, he was fastest when he was vegetarian. However, he was a victim of warped planning. Not Kapil Dev 'blocking the way for youngsters' (after all, Kapil could bat, unlike Srinath) but the selectors and team management were responsible. When the Indian team played at home, they picked three spinners, leaving Srinath on the bench. They then brought him back for a match away from India. Do you honestly expect him to set the town on fire then? Moreover, his stint in Gloucestershire helped his bowling a great deal, and he was very effective in England, South Africa and New Zealand, but as he lost pace, he lost power, and that weakened him in Australia and on flat pitches. Not to mention, he lacked support.
Selection– Now that's the single most negative factor against pace bowling in India. We see pacers picked in packs now, but all of them lack pace. Yet we see the same packs persisted with. An out-of-form, unfit Zaheer can't do muhch. Nor can Nehra with a niggle. Balaji's decent but lacks pace. Agarkar– now that's a little joke– no a big one, for his size. Irfan– serious, no doubt, but he's not so much a factor because of bowling skill as much as value addition. Yohannan– jaw-dropping, I can't imagine someone with the ideal build fall so short of expectations. We don't see the selectors try someone different, and when they do, they backtrack almost immediately. Sreesanth has a lot of potential, but they went back to Agarkar again. RP Singh has stayed on, but may miss the team once Nehra returns. Joginder– the worst casualty of such selection blunders. The selectors are not even looking out for new, genuine pacers, and that's sad.
New pace hopes for India– First of all, Gagandeep is just another swing bowler. That won't make much of a difference. VR Singh should be rushed into the Indian side sooner than later. Sure, he bowls like Agarkar, but given his build and pace, he can afford to. Munaf is another choice for value addition more than bowling skills, but he is an attacking bowler for his team and he has bowled fast. Abid Nabi plays for a weaker team in the country, so he may find it tough, but he too is fast. Joginder is similar to Balaji, but with a change in action, he can add pace. Sreesanth should return, as a regular, not a fringe player. Hopefully he won't be another Sami clone.
), took to meat midway through his career.
The role model thing also makes a difference.
