Rain or shine, Andhra cricketers can practise at the indoor stadium coming at the ACA’s cricket stadium complex at Amaravathi Township in Mangalagiri in Guntur district.
This facility will be inaugurated by June and the stadium comes with solid polycarbonate sheets as roofing which are transparent and eco-friendly.
Natural light
“The auditorium will get natural light thus helping us save on electricity. Players can have uninterrupted practice session even during power cuts and there is no need of generators,” ACA Director (Operations) M.S.K. Prasad told The Hindu on Thursday.
Coaches’ dream
The top class indoor stadium will have bowling machines and video recordings to help the coaches to analyse techniques of trainees and advise them corrective measures.
“The indoor stadium is not only for players who would be put up at the residential camp coming up this academic year, but also for all the ACA cricketers who wish to practise in quality environment. We will lay seven astro turf wickets, each of 22-yards, for practice,” he added.
A building is coming up at the entrance of the stadium to house 40-odd players of the residential academy.
“The building will have two floors with dormitories, a multi-purpose hall, provision for kitchen, rooms for coaches, physiotherapist and cricket gear,” he added.
Residential academy
Mr. Prasad said that the cricket academy would serve the players of Guntur, Krishna, Prakasam and West Godavari districts.
“The residential academy proposed by the ACA will provide hostel facility for u-16, u-19 players selected at zonal level. The Association will fund their education all the three years,” he added. The budding cricketers would be trained by country’s top coaches.
Women cricket
With Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) making Andhra Cricket Association the headquarters of Indian women’s cricket, the Mangalagiri Stadium is likely to witness many national and international fixtures involving women cricketers also.