The Punjab Kings have taken an out-of-the-box decision as they attempt to capture their maiden Indian Premier League trophy appointing former England domestic cricketer Julian Wood, who is regarded as a leading expert in power-hitting and has worked with players and franchises in leagues across the world.
Although Wood does not have any competitive cricket in him for the better part of two decades, he is still considered as one of the best with regard to his technique and has been approached by PBKS for his expertise in hitting the long ball. He played in 62 matches for English County Hampshire, scoring over 2000 runs, and retired back in 2006.
The Punjab Kings confirmed the appointment of Wood with an announcement on their official website. The 53-year old has experience at the highest levels of T20 franchise cricket, having already previously worked in the Big Bash League, and Caribbean Premier League, among others.
He has also mentored the likes of Ben Stokes, Prithvi Shaw, and Sam Billings and moulded their technique to better suit the slog overs, with great success.
Wood has earlier claimed that he was the one who noticed the shift in the requirements of the game before anyone else and therefore formulated a plethora of techniques to suit the needs of the changing game. As a result, he trusts his abilities and is eager to make an impact in the Premier League as well.
“I saw where the game was going before anybody else. I am confident in saying that after speaking to a lot of players over the years. Cricket has been traditionally too hand-reliant. That has to change. Power comes from the torso and hips.”
Wood said.
“A kinetic chain of energy happens when you hit the ball explosively: it comes up from your back leg to your hip, to your back, goes to your shoulder, elbow, and finally to your wrists.
What I try to do is to join the dots up. You need to separate your hands from your body. You need to do that separation to improve explosiveness. ,”
Wood concluded.
