In his latest blog on PakPassion.net, renowned pace bowling coach Ian Pont writes about the benefits derived from the The Ultimate Pace Foundation camp that he runs in India and also speaks about his impressions of the talent on offer at this camp.

By Ian Pont (3rd December, 2014)

As we enter into the second year of The Ultimate Pace Foundation, it's a good time to reflect on the first four camps. 

The first thing is to acknowledge that the level of fast bowling talent in India is definitely there. Most of the attendees are aged fourteen to twenty and it's easy to see how fast bowling can be developed. The problem is that Ultimate Pace Foundation is the only place of its type existing so unless people go, they will not be able to learn what they need to know to be the best version of themselves.

The www.ultimatepacefoundation.com website has attracted more than 150,000 visitors and the FaceBook page more than 10,000 likes, which is a great start for just twelve months.

Across the eighty or so people we have seen so far, two young cricketers have stood out. Both are existing products of the KIOC (Kanartaka Institute Of Cricket) who host the camp. These two sixteen/seventeen year olds (bowling around 130 kph) have shown much promise.

But it's not just the pace. The coaching has helped with control and people's actions have genuinely changed. The feedback has been exceptional too, with all saying the level of intensity and standard of coaching being the highest they have experienced.

The issue we face is when people go back to their existing coaches who try to get them to stop focusing on speed. That's why we encourage and educate each attendee to be their OWN coach.

But the Ultimate Pace Foundation is not just for Indian cricketers. We have had Australian, Canadian and a USA player, with some English players due to fly over too. As the camp gains momentum, we also hope to attract sponsors. This, after all, is one of the few places that can genuinely teach people to bowl faster.

UPF is open to all attendees. The only criteria is getting a VISA.

My thoughts about Indian fast bowling potential has always been that with the right help and advice, India can produce some genuine pacers. We have made a start and a commitment and I hope the camp can become the place to help nurture a new Dale Steyn or Shoaib Akhtar.

Discuss!