The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has appointed former India pacer Tinu Yohannan as Kerala’s coach. The decision was made at an on-line general body meeting by the state association.
Yohannan became Kerala’s first cricketer to play for India in his Test debut against England in 2001. The right-arm bowler will replace Dav Whatmore, who coached the team for three seasons.
Under Whatmore, Kerala reached the Ranji Trophy quarter final in 2017-18, and improved their performance the following year as they progressed to the semi finals. But, Kerala was demoted to Elite Group ‘C’ in 2019-20, as they managed to win only one game in the whole season.
Yohannan is no stranger to the role, as he has represented his country in 3 ODIs and 3 Tests. The lanky pacer had been Kerala’s bowling coach in the 2016-17 season. Incidentally, Yohannan took over as the head coach when the then-coach P Balachandran was sacked halfway through the season.
Yohannan said in a chat with Onmanorama: “It’s an exciting challenge. I’ve been part of this family and one major plus is that I’m no stranger to the players. My goal is to build an environment where each player can perform to the best of their ability.”
Although due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there are no cricketing activities in India, the Kerala players have been advised to work on their fitness. The former India pacer mentioned, “The players were told to stay fit and be ready for the domestic season as and when it begins. In this time, they can also focus on their individual game.”
