New Delhi, March 2 Amidst all the attention on the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, the idea of having specialist camps at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru has been steadily taking shape. Sources familiar with the matter have told IANS that a fast-bowling camp led by former pace spearhead Zaheer Khan is set to conclude on Monday.
"The targeted pacers who have been with the India A and U19 set-ups and have performed well for their respective states have been participating in a camp under the guidance of Zaheer for three days, and it will conclude today. This is aimed at helping players who are already in the national selection radar," said sources.
It is worth noting that the CoE has been without a full-time fast-bowling coach since Troy Cooley's tenure ended in December 2025, as he turned 60, the retirement age for coaches at the high-performance facility. In terms of spin bowling, the CoE has former India left-arm spinner and selector Sunil Joshi, who joined in October last year.
The BCCI had invited applications for the fast-bowling coach role on February 9, and it is understood that appointing Cooley's replacement will take around one to two months. Regarding Harbhajan holding a camp for promising off-spinners in the country, the dates and duration of the camp are yet to be finalized, although it is understood that this may take place later this month, before the start of IPL 2026.
"Yes, Harbhajan has been approached by CoE head of cricket VVS Laxman to hold a camp for off-spinners. If everything goes well, that may happen later in the month," said another source.
The BCCI is also looking to fill other critical vacant positions, such as Head of Sports Science and Medicine, and various coaching roles, and the process of completing these hirings will also take one to two months.