A long felt need beginning to take shape

IT MUST have been a rare occasion in the annals of Indian Cricket. Century makers on debut, Hanumant Singh and the inimitable G. R. Visvanath shared the podium at the inauguration of the National Cricket Academy and the former, who is Director of the NCA, gushed praises on the artistry of GRV.

A long felt need in Indian Cricket has finally begun to take shape. True,the National Cricket Academy is only in its infancy, but hopefully with so many renowned cricketers involved in the project, a centrifugal force would be given to it and tougher, better cricketers would be available for National Duty in the near future.

Hanumant Singh has a task on hand. But he seems equal to the challenge. ``I have a daunting task, but having been involved with coaching after my playing days I am glad the fruition of a National Cricket Academy has come about and that young cricketers can reap the benefit of the experiences of their predecessors,'' Hanumant said. ``We learnt a lot during our days and by passing our experiences on to the youngsters we can help them understand it better when they get to know first hand, '' Hanumant pointed out.

The Academy is only in its first phase, but with the schedule charted out for the first batch of trainees, it looks as if much thought has gone into the objectives. For example, net practice and emphasis on technique is only a small part of the routine. ``Earlier the emphasis was on the nets and five days a week the boys used to focus on their skills, like batting, bowling and fielding. It became more of a routine affair and players continued to perform mechanically. We have now decided that nets would be restricted and the focus will be on other areas, like physical fitness, mental toughness and an ongoing thinking process directed towards the game. We will draw from other games to help improve some aspects, like the sliding tackle in football would help the boys sharpen their fielding.''

``I plan to put into use Yoga, Tai Chi and Reiki to get the boys into supreme fitness,'' Hanumant declared. `` I also will work closely with the Sports Psychologist to work on the boys' mental preparedness. It is no secret that a general feeling was there among the Indian team that as long as Sachin was there he would do the job. I want the boys to stop hoping that others would do the job and work towards personal contributions, '' Hanumant stressed.

``The team at the National Cricket Academy will take an interest in the overall development of the trainees. We want to teach them how to conduct themselves whether in India or abroad. Cricketers are like Ambassadors or envoys. They should reflect their upbringing and behave like perfect gentlemen. Their table manners, their sharing of hotel rooms and their personal hygiene should be striking,'' Hanumant pointed out. ``If room-mates are not compatible, how will they perform together on the field?'' he queried. ``The team mates should have mutual trust to synthesise on the field,'' he added. `` We also teach the boys how to handle the media and develop public speaking skills,'' he added.

Another area where the National Cricket Academy will focus the players is in handling their finances. Players will be helped to get the best deals from sponsors and taught to invest wisely.

The National Cricket Academy will help fringe players hovering around the Indian team consolidate their place in the side. Not only the national side, but also the academy would help widen the base of domestic cricket.

The trainees at the Academy have an itinerary which includes their participation in the KSCA Diamond Jubilee, the Buchi Babu tournament and also the Challenger series.

Plans are also afoot to have matches with the New Zealand Cricket Academy and the Australian Cricket Academy and a tour abroad is also on the anvil, which coach Roger Binny will help organise. ``The boys will get the best cricketing exposure,'' Hanumant Singh said.

D. RAVI SHANKAR

Bangalore

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