Daily Times

KOCHI: Former Australian fast bowler Jeff ‘Thommo’ Thomson has been roped in by the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) to train budding seamers from Kerala for the next two years, an official said on Saturday. The 15 days-a-month programme will start on September 1 with 15 selected pace bowlers, including current state players and new talent. KCA President TC Mathew told IANS that the programme has been organised in partnership with the IDBI-Federal Bank Pace Foundation. “Thommo will be in Kochi on Monday. On Tuesday he will address the press. Starting next month he will leave for Wayanad, where the training programme is scheduled,” said Mathew. The Foundation is organising a similar programme in Bengaluru and Thomson, 66, is expected to shuttle between the two southern states. The Australian pacer will be assisted by a few former Indian players including Tinu Yohanan, Ramesh Powar and a few others. Thomson played 51 Tests for Australia between 1972 and 1985 and took 200 wickets. He, along with fellow pacer Dennis Lillee, constituted a formidable pace attack.