Troy Cooley’s tenure as fast bowling coach at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) has come to an end. The decorated Australian coach joined in late 2021 with the aim of building and nurturing India’s next set of fast bowlers.
Coaching Contributions
During his time, Cooley worked closely with the pacers in coordination with VVS Laxman, the head of cricket at CoE, previously known as the National Cricket Academy (NCA). Cooley was the bowling coach of the Indian women’s team during the T20 World Cup in South Africa in February 2023 and also served in the same capacity for the India men’s A team on their tour of England earlier this year.
Departure Details
Sources indicate that Cooley, 60, will leave the CoE facility on Saturday. Currently, there is no official announcement regarding who will fill the gap left by his departure, creating yet another vacancy in the CoE’s coaching structure.
Recent Vacancies
Last month, Rajib Datta’s tenure as the bowling coach and lead faculty at CoE also came to an end. In August, the BCCI had advertised for resident faculty in batting and bowling. Additionally, the position of head of sports science and medicine at CoE is yet to be filled. Following former head Nitin Patel’s exit, an advertisement was released inviting prospective applicants in August, but there has been no update on who will occupy this critical post.
New Roles and Responsibilities
Last month, the BCCI called for applications for the role of Head – Cricket Education at the CoE after Sujith Somasunder left to become the vice-president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). The deadline for applications was December 8, and it remains to be seen how quickly this position can be filled.
With players’ all-format workloads needing sustained care and monitoring for both men’s and women’s teams, Indian cricket cannot afford further delays in filling these important roles at CoE.
Team Coaching Changes
It is also understood that Munish Bali has transitioned from the CoE to work full-time with the India women’s team, in a capacity similar to that of batting coach Sitanshu Kotak with the men’s side. Bali, who was part of the coaching staff when the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side won the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup at home, had previously been contracted to the CoE before making this full-time shift.
Additionally, AI Harrsha will continue as the India women’s team strength and conditioning coach for the upcoming five-game T20I series against Sri Lanka, starting in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
Pending Appointments
The arrival of Nathan Kiely, expected to join the Indian women’s team as their S&C coach, is still pending. The Australia-based Kiely resigned from his role as the Bangladesh men’s S&C coach in October citing personal reasons, and there is hope that he could join the team during their all-format tour of Australia, scheduled from February 15 to March 6 next year.