The Hindu : May the NCA go from strength to strength

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 09, 2003

Sport

Sport - Cricket

May the NCA go from strength to strength

By K. SRIKKANTH

The National Cricket Academy is moving in the right direction. The NCA is now more than three years old and I am certain it has come to stay in Indian cricket.

It was heartening to note that the legendary Sunil Gavaskar spent some time with the aspirants in Bangalore. I am sure the young cricketers would have picked up much from him.

I had the good fortune of opening with Gavaskar for India and he was the purest batsman technically. What stood out was how he managed to leave some deliveries that would have found the outside edge of most batsmen. His judgment was so impeccable.

On pitches where the ball swung and seamed, Gavaskar would not play more than what was absolutely necessary, and this would frustrate the best of pacemen. As the pacemen lost focus, Gavaskar, gradually, would assert himself.

There is so much that the budding batsmen can learn from Gavaskar — about the art of building an innings. Thanks to the NCA, they have now received an opportunity.

The NCA has given the young players a chance to stay together during their formative years, and this will teach them much about camaraderie, apart from the finer points of the game.

Now we have the Zonal academies of the NCA, which means a larger number of boys can benefit from expert coaching and guidance. As the cricketers make the transition from the junior level to first class cricket, NCA is a valuable training ground.

In my time, of course, the facilities for the youngsters were a lot fewer. There used to be just one National-level summer camp under Hemu Adhikari, and getting selected for it was a big honour those days.

For the ones chosen it was a clear sign that they had a future in the game, if they displayed the needed dedication and commitment. A lot of players who graduated from Adhikari's camps represented the country.

Now the NCA's zonal academies have ensured that the cricketers could stay in their zones and develop their skills. I am also happy that the NCA is now looking at the under-15 and 17 categories, for this is a crucial phase in a cricketer's career.

Batting and bowling apart, the players would have learnt a lot about running between the wickets, fielding and ways to keep themselves fit. These boys indeed are lucky.

Apart from Gavaskar, several other illustrious names, such as Kapil Dev and the legendary Indian spin quartet have visited the NCA. Some of them have been celebrated cricketers from abroad like Greg Chappell and Rodney Marsh.

The fact that the NCA camps have a fitness trainer, a physio, and a dietician working in tandem with the coaches has ensured that the boys improve that much faster. In contemporary cricket, the players have to be super-fit.

I wish the NCA goes from strength to strength. It is a wonderful concept and it has caught on.

www.kris-srikkanth.com

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport

Stories in this Section

Cricket

Scotland gives Pakistan a scare

May the NCA go from strength to strength

Tennis

Fairytale finish for Ferrero

Football

Awesome display by Goa, Kerala

Spain loses to Greece

58 players for AIFF's 'fitness for football'

Beckham's affair with United could be coming to a close

Athletics

Another setback for Greene — a distant third

Chess

Rahul Sangma, Jayasree taste defeat

Wrestling

Iranian grapplers in limelight