The MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai was set up in 1987 by the late Ravi Mammen of MRF with Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee, to fix a shortage of quality pace bowlers in Indian cricket, MRF says. Nearly four decades later it is still the country’s best-known fast-bowling academy, with Glenn McGrath as director after taking over from Lillee.
The academy’s alumni list is long. According to MRF chairman K. M. Mammen, quoted by Gulf News, 17 of its trainees had played for India and taken over 2,000 international wickets between them. Here is how the foundation works, who has trained there and how a young bowler gets in.
What the foundation has
MRF lists these facilities at the academy:
- Its own cricket ground with four turf pitches.
- A gymnasium and an Olympic-size swimming pool for conditioning.
- Residential facilities for trainees attending camps.
Since 1992 it has also run exchange programmes with Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh, England and the West Indies, sharing coaches and bowlers.
Who has trained there
| Group | Names (as listed by the sources) |
|---|---|
| Indian bowlers | Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad, Varun Aaron, Ishwar Pandey |
| Overseas fast bowlers | Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Shoaib Akhtar, Shane Bond |
Indian names are from Gulf News and overseas names from MRF’s own page. The academy’s influence also runs through coaching. Zaheer Khan, a left-arm quick who took 102 wickets in 100 IPL games, was named head coach of Chennai Super Kings in September 2026, DT Next reported.
The BCCI partnership
The Board of Control for Cricket in India signed a five-year deal with the foundation to develop pace bowlers under McGrath, Gulf News reported. It set up two streams:
- Elite: bowlers picked by the BCCI for official matches, in batches of up to 10 for two-week camps, able to attend during each of McGrath’s three yearly visits.
- Probables: 20 emerging bowlers shortlisted by national selectors, split into two groups of 10 for 30-day camps in May-June and July-August.
We could not confirm whether that agreement has been renewed, so treat it as the model the foundation has used rather than the current contract.
Ace of Pace: the open talent hunt
In 2024 the foundation ran its first open talent hunt, Ace of Pace, with trials in Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai, MRF announced. Thousands registered, more than 1,000 bowled at the city trials, and the top 20 from each city went to finals in Chennai on 9 March 2024. Three bowlers, all aged 20, were picked to train free at the academy under McGrath and chief coach M. Senthilnathan: Jaskaran Singh of Sriganganagar, Mohd Izhar of Birpur and Muhammad Sarfraj of Ranchi.
Why Chennai became India’s fast-bowling school
It is an odd fit at first glance. Chennai’s slow, turning pitches have produced far more spinners than quicks, and Tamil Nadu has rarely fielded an attack built on pace. That was part of the point in 1987: India needed fast bowlers, and a privately funded academy with a foreign coach could work on run-ups, actions and fitness away from the pressure of selection. MRF’s headquarters being in the city made Chennai the natural base, and the foundation’s exchange visits brought overseas bowlers to train on its turf pitches alongside Indians.
The BCCI’s decision to send its own fast bowlers there for camps shows how far that model travelled. For a young Chennai bowler, it also means specialist pace coaching is available in the home city.
How a young bowler can get in
- Play organised cricket first. Most trainees come through state associations, age-group sides and league cricket. In Chennai, that means TNCA club cricket.
- Watch for talent hunts. Open trials like Ace of Pace are announced by MRF; check the foundation’s site, mrfpacefoundation.com, and MRF’s news page.
- Get noticed by selectors. State and national selectors can nominate bowlers for camps.
- Look after the body. The academy’s emphasis on fitness, run-up and action means a bowler with a sound action and conditioning record stands a better chance.
The foundation does not publish a fee table or a regular admissions calendar on the pages we could read; ask the academy directly about current camps.
Quick answers
When was the MRF Pace Foundation started?
In 1987, by Ravi Mammen with Dennis Lillee.
Who runs coaching there now?
Glenn McGrath is director, with M. Senthilnathan as chief coach, according to MRF’s 2024 announcement.
Which Indian bowlers trained there?
Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad, Varun Aaron and Ishwar Pandey are among the names, and 17 trainees have played for India.
Can anyone try out?
Through open hunts like Ace of Pace, yes. Otherwise entry is mostly by nomination from associations or selectors.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
