Ramesh Powar lends Australia U-19 spinners a hand

As the Australia U-19 spinners went through their drills at the Niranjan Shah Stadium on Sunday, there was a familiar voice from India offering a few words, a few pointers and the occasional tweak. Former India off-spinner Ramesh Powar was at hand to lend them his expertise.

“The Australian team management approached me quite a few months back to come and spend some time with the young spinners and guide them, so I decided to spend four days with them,” Powar told Sportstar.

Powar joined the Australian team on Saturday and will be with the squad until its final Youth ODI against India on Wednesday. The short stint gives the young spinners an opportunity to work closely with a coach who has spent years around the game, both in India and abroad.

“It’s a one-off gig, and just a short one to guide the young bowlers,” he said.

The former India women’s head coach has remained involved in coaching since stepping away from the national setup. He has worked with several domestic teams, including Gujarat, and has also taken up short-term assignments with touring overseas sides in the past.

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For Powar, the assignment also comes at an interesting juncture. He is among the front-runners for the post of chairman of India’s junior national selection committee, a position that could see him play a different role in shaping the next generation of Indian cricketers.

The BCCI, however, is yet to conduct interviews for the position. Speaking to the media after the Board’s AGM on Friday, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the candidates were being shortlisted, after which the Cricket Advisory Committee would interview them and complete the process over the next fortnight.

For now, though, Powar’s focus is on a different set of young spinners; spending a few days with them, looking closely at their game and helping them get the little things right.

Published on Sep 20, 2026