Cooley targets the magic number 137

Mohali: Australia has some of the best pacers in the world. The manner in which they are trained is a treat to watch.

Right from their warm-up phase everything is closely observed by Troy Cooley, their bowling coach. He was seen instructing the bowlers on the art of run up, rhythm and the pace at which one has to bowl.

This battery of pace bowlers going through the grind included the world's most experienced pacer Glenn McGrath. He too was seen listening to the bowling coach very attentively. Cooley has a reputation of sharpening the art of swing bowling.

So what is the secret of becoming a good swing bowler?

"First and foremost, a bowler should learn to bowl at the right areas. Then it is all about practice," says Cooley, who has just completed a six-month stint with pace legend Dennis Lillee.

Cooley believes that to swing the ball requires a lot of planning. He kept correcting young Mitchell Johnson's run up and guided him on the importance of the using the crease.

"Johnson is one of our fine bowlers. He can swing the ball both ways. The more he bowls, the more he is improving," said Cooley, who believes that every bowler should sharpen his ability to swing the ball. "No batsman in the world likes to see the ball swinging around and so it is an effective weapon if mastered correctly."

Is it the ability to swing alone that a pacer needs to master?

"No. I have told everyone that the magic No is 137. One must be able to bowl consistently at 137km an hour.

Indeed, Cooley is happy that all his pacers bowl at this speed.