New Delhi: Punjab Kings have appointed former England first-class cricketer Julian Ross Wood as their batting consultant with an emphasis on power-hitting ahead of the Indian Premier League starting March 26. Wood is considered a pioneer in power-hitting coaching, having worked with players. IPL, Big Bash League and other T20 leagues.
He has personally worked with the likes of Ben Stokes, Prithvi Shaw, Sam Billings and Carlos Brathwaite on the science of staying steady and hitting the ball out of the park.
The 53-year-old will work with the Punjab batsmen along with assistant coach Jonty Rhodes, who has been given additional responsibility in addition to the fielding department this season.
“We are delighted to announce Julian Ross Wood as our new batting consultant for the #TATAIPL2022,” the team wrote on social media.
The auction of the franchise was a huge success as they featured the likes of Jonny Bairstow, Shikhar Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Kagiso Rabada and Shah Rukh Khan.
Punjab had been on Wood’s radar for the past two years, but finally managed to secure his services last week.
Wood has been approached by other IPL teams in the past, but the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to his late appearance in the world’s biggest T20 league.
“We wanted it earlier also, but it did not materialise. We have been monitoring his work for the last two years and he teaches the skills to the batsmen.
“We also have a bunch of power-hitters in the squad and they can pick the mind of someone like Wood. It was Jonty who first saw him and we are happy to have him on board. ,
Punjab badly in need of a turnaround in their fortunes, having finished 6th out of 8 teams in the last three seasons. His only final appearance came in 2014.
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