NCA to be restructured

With a view to fine-tune the skills of India's young talent, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has decided to completely restructure the Banglaore-based National Cricket Academy into a state-of-the-art institution under former batting maestro Sunil Gavaskar.

BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya said, "The most important project of the board at hand is restructuring of the existing NCA into a state-of-the-art outfit."

He said the board has also decided to set up a cricket museum, an administrative complex and an academy near Maharani Bagh in Delhi, earmarking Rs 170 million for the project.

The BCCI president said the Karnataka State Cricket Association has already purchased 30 acres of land from the state government and the board would purchase 12 acres of that land from the KSCA to set up the "new look" NCA.

Besides developing the all-round ability of the players, Dalmiya said the board would also encourage them to pursue educational programmes.

He said a high profile cricket committee under the chairmanship of Gavaskar is being put in place.

"This would act as a think-tank to run the affairs of NCA."

In view of the importance of the project, one of the board's vice-presidents C K Khanna has been redesignated as NCA vice-chairman, Dalmiya added.

He also said board's decision to appoint a foreign coach and physio has already shown results, "as now the players have less fitness problems".

"That is why the board has now decided to put in place an all India set-up to monitor the physical condition of our players."

Informing that the BCCI has already procured physical training equipment worth around Rs 30 million from the United States, Dalmiya said a qualified physical trainer would be appointed in each of the five zones and he would work under a foreign physical trainer, who will be based at the NCA in Bangalore.

Mail Cricket Editor