Andhra Pradesh

Three ACA players for Brisbane Academy

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) is sending three of its players, Shiva Kumar, D. Prabhu Kiran and Samir Ali Khan to Brisbane Academy in Australia for training.

The three have been identified in the first phase of ACA’s programme to provide training to its best talented players, according to ACA secretary V. Chamundeswarinath. Speaking at the valedictory function of the 14-day coach camp for Andhra Ranji and junior players held at the ACA-VDCA stadium here conducted by the former England pace bowler Mike Hendrick and former Indian leg-spinner M.V. Narasimha Rao, the ACA secretary also informed that he had broached the subject of signing an MoU with Derbyshire county for exchange of teams to ensure high-level exposure to Andhra cricketers.

The ACA secretary also made it clear that anyone who opts to play for another State in domestic cricket and then comes back again to home State will have to wait for a mandatory period of three years to be re-considered for selection. "This was one of the decisions taken at the executive committee meeting to ensure that the youngsters who were given a chance in their place in the first instance were not discarded just because those who want to come back and play for Andhra," he explained.

The Y.S. Raja Reddy Trust had recently handed over Rs.50 lakhs to the ACA as part of its contribution to the Raja Reddy ACA stadium to be constructed in Kadapa. Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy laid foundation for the modern cricket stadium in December last. Work on the stadium would commence soon, Mr. Chamundiswaranath said.

All the district units of ACA had been told clearly to have turf wickets within one year and also funds would be released for construction of full-fledged stadiums in all the district centres.

Mike Hendrick said he was highly impressed with the talent available and if possible would love to work with the players again before the start of the Ranji season this winter. "All of them have the potential to be good quality cricketers and I hope they will implement what best suits them from the knowledge gained in the camp," he remarked.

Y. Gnaneswara Rao, who has been appointed Andhra captain for the K. S. Subbaiah Pillai Trophy, said the camp was very useful as it helped the players rectify some minor flaws and their confidence level was pretty high at the end of it. N. Prasad, vice-president of ACA, handed over the ACA blazers to Mike Hendrick and Narasimha Rao. Former Andhra Ranji captains K. Chandrasekhara Rao and M.N. Ravikumar, who was also in-charge of the camp along with M. Sharath, coaches J. Krishna Rao, Vincent Vinay Kumar and AP Naidu and others were present.

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