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Andhra cricket: Doing the right thing in times of Lodha

VISAKHAPATNAM:The beautiful outfield of India's latest Test venue here had even the visitors from England raving over it.

Andhra cricket: Doing the right thing in times of Lodha

A view of the ground at the U-19 academy in Vizianagaram.



Rohit Mahajan

Tribune News Service

Visakhapatnam, November 23

The beautiful outfield of India's latest Test venue here had even the visitors from England raving over it. The cricketer-commentators admired it often and in glowing terms, and the Guardian's reporter — former England spinner Vic Marks — likened it to an “expensive green carpet”.

The officials of the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA), though, think this very impressive outfield is not so amazing by their own standards. “You should see the outfield in some of the others grounds we have,” says CR Mohan, from the Vijayawada Cricket Association.

“Five years ago, frankly speaking, but for the stadium here (Visakhapatnam), we hardly had anything in the districts,” says MSK Prasad, ACA's director for six years before he was appointed an India selector last year. 

“Our primary focus was on developing infrastructure. When we thought we had the infrastructure, we developed the academies,” adds Prasad, who became India's chief selector two months ago.

The state now has a staggering 18 first-class grounds. It also has three residential academies for boys/men (Under-14, Under-16 and Under-19) and one for women. The spurt in the development of infrastructure in the state occurred under Prasad, who played 6 Tests and 17 ODIs for India.

Model association?

The association officials like to boast that the first 'A' in ACA stands for 'aadarsh' — 'model' or 'ideal'. It certainly is one of the most progressive associations in the country. One important change made during Prasad's tenure as director was the advent of neutral selectors for the senior team. “It's been prevalent for six years,” says Prasad. “So, no selector can push for the selection of a player from his own district. When we post them to see matches, no selector is posted to view matches involving his own district.”

Junior cricket in most parts of India is rife with horrible tales of corruption. ACA has a policy of allowing parents to question selection. “In the last six years, hardly three-four parents have questioned selection,” says Prasad. “When they come, we host them free in a hotel, we show them the stats, we call the chairman of the selection committee. He must speak to them in front of us — director and secretary — and explain why their children were not selected.” The idea, says Prasad, is not to question the integrity of the selectors, but to “clear the doubts of the parents”, because “all parents believe that their kid is the best, an icon”!

Funding sport

GJJ Raju, who played 12 Ranji Trophy matches for Andhra Pradesh, is the chairman of the U-19 academy in Vizianagaram. “We have excellent, three-star facilities, with top-quality infrastructure, gyms and trainers,” says Raju. “The coaches are all former first-class players. We also have a tie-up with an engineering college for free education.”

So impressed were the officials of England's Kent county with the facilities at the Vizianagaram academy that they signed up for mutual visits with ACA.

Raju laughs at stories of funds-crunch in some other state associations. In Andhra, the young trainees don't have to pay anything. “There is a need to manage and utilise funds in the right way, and you need to have the right people to handle that,” Raju, an ACA vice-president, says.

“Our efforts were directed towards establishing fair practices and transparency,” says Prasad, and adds that they want to create rounded personalities. 

Lasting education

“We have tutors who come in the evenings, to help the students. All the boys have passed in first division, with over 60 percent,” says Prasad of a recent batch of the Under-19 academy. “There are students who've scored 90-93% also. Not many kids are going to play for the country, and their sporting careers are also not going to last forever. The only things that can last are education and character.”

It would be good if more associations learn this lesson.

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