Lillee to set up fast bowling academy in Perth: report

Former Australia cricketer Dennis Lillee will establish an academy for fast bowlers in his home state of Western Australia to help develop talent, an Australian newspaper reported on Friday.

Lillee, 52, who has coached young fast bowlers internationally including in Madras, said he was concerned about the quality of pace bowlers in Western Australia.

The bouncy Perth wicket at the Western Australia test venue is regarded as one of the best for fast bowlers in world cricket.

Western Australia state has produced some of Australia's finest fast bowlers including Lillee, Graham McKenzie and Terry Alderman, who took 771 test wickets between them.

"The situation needs to be addressed," Lillee was quoted as saying in The West Australian newspaper on Friday.

Whether it's cyclical or not I don't know, but I've been critical of what I've seen over the last five or so years -- to the stage where the WACA (Western Australian Cricket Association) is taking steps to rectify a most problem.

"As a result, I am going to set up a fast bowling academy, unique in Australian cricket, with the help of some renowned experts in their fields who I can't name at this early stage.

"We haven't yet decided if it will be a live-in situation but we will need funding and sponsorship to get the equipment we need.

"There must be young fast bowlers out there and we are going to do our best to stop them from being lost to the game."

Lillee has recently been coaching Australia fast bowler Brett Lee, who has been timed at 156kph but has been hampered by elbow and side strain injuries this year.

Lillee famously overcame a serious back injury which threatened his career in the 1970s.

Mail Cricket Editor