Cricket update: Ian Pont appointed as Bangladesh’s bowling coach
Bangladesh’s bowling coach saga finally reached an end yesterday when the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747 Cricket Board (BCB) announced the appointment of Ian Pont as the official bowling coach of Bengali tigers. Former fast bowler of Essex has been awarded coaching contract until the end of 2011 World Cup. Pont will join Bangladesh team at a training camp in Mirpur on Thursday, 15th September where the tigers will be busy sharpening their paws to face Kiwis in the five-match home ODI series starting from October 5 in the same Sher-e-Bangla cricket stadium, Mirpur.
Appointment of Ian Pot as bowling coach has filled the vacancy created after former Sri Lankan fast bowler Champaka Ramanayake’s resignation, as his bad health did not allow him to continue his duties with Bangladesh team. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Lance-Klusener-c72175 was BCB’s first choice but the former all-rounder declined the offer earlier this month after prolonged discussions with the board officials.
Pont, 49, has wide coaching experience. Besides working with county teams Essex, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Worcestershire-c866 as a fast bowling coach, he had also managed the Dutch team for two years leading up to the 2007 Cricket World Cup. The special coaching technique used by Pont is known as ABSAT (Advanced Biomechanics Speed & Accuracy Technique). He is author of ‘The Fast Bowler's Bible’ that was published in 2006 by Crowood Press and is on its third edition.
Born on 28th August 1961 in Brentwood, Essex, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ian-Leslie-Pont-c63901 is a former English cricketer who was known in the world of baseball for his potent throw and brief foray. The Essex-born mainly played for his home club, Essex, during his career. Pont’s brother Keith Pont was also an Essex player who played for the county from 1970 to 1986 as seam bowling all-rounder.
Pont started his senior cricket career with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Middlesex-c817 Panthers at the home of cricket, the Lord’s ground. In 1983, Pont joined Minor Countries and played three Benson and Hedges Cup matches while playing for Buckinghamshire. On his return to the first class cricket in July 1985, Pont joined his native Essex County.
The next three years he played for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Essex-c783 but also enjoyed a stint with Natal in South Africa. While playing for Natal, Pont recorded second longest throw of a cricket ball in the history of game, 138 yards in Cape Town.
Ian Pont played first-class cricket for Essex in 1986 but the next year saw him moving to the baseball world as pitcher. He had auditions with six major league baseball clubs as pitchers during 1987. A speed of around 100 mph during trials earned him 30-day extended trial with Philadelphia Phillies. Pont became the first, contemporary professional cricketer to play in a professional baseball game, when he joined Phillies as starting pitcher in an exhibition game at spring training.
He played List A and first-class cricket for Essex for two more seasons before returning to Minor Countries cricket in 1989. He played for Northumberland in 1989 while in 1990 and 1991 he had joined Lincolnshire.
After his retirement from first-class cricket in 1990, Pont concentrated on his business of coloured clothing for cricket. He is an early pioneer in supplying coloured kits for all teams in 1992 World Cup. At present, Pont is an international coach training the bowlers in United Kingdom and overseas on pace and their line and length.
Latest discovery of Ian Pont is The World's Best Slower Ball known as Slower Obsolete Delivery (The SLOB). Pont’s much waited second book Coaching Youth Cricket was published earlier this year by Human Kinetics.
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