National Academy, best booster for Indian cricket

National Academy, best booster for Indian cricket
BISHAN SINGH BEDI

After completing a three-month summer cricket coaching clinic with SAI at the Nehru Stadium in Delhi, our team of coaches and trainers were feeling fairly satisfied with our efforts, until, that is, an opportunity to spend ten days with the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.

Of late, Indian cricket has been through rough times. With rampant corruption, the image of cricket has nosedived to an all time low. With no significant solution in sight, even the most optimistic cricket servant like yours truly was feeling pretty down and out. All along I knew I was not the only one. Cricketing depression is different from other set-backs, both personal and national.

However, my visit to Bangalore was amazingly re-assuring. The NCA is not only a silver lining. It is the ultimate in uplifting the sagging image of the sport. Am ever so glad to be alive to experience the emergence of a wonderful concept. And in the present mire of insipid character actors, it was a delight to be associated with outstanding cricket personalities like Hanumant Singh and Vasu Paranjpe.

Their intensity of involvement with twenty odd trainees is to be seen to be believed. It was purely a `Hanu-Vasu' influence which helped me sharpen my cricketing instincts. Thanks to the duo, I was able to freshen up my own motivation. The positive response from the trainees was a definite turn-on. Honestly, I cannot recollect such a marvellous cricket atmosphere anywhere else in the country. This is for the consumption of all parents who have sent their youngsters to the NCA in Bangalore, though not all the trainess will make it to the top of the cricket ladder. But they will be distinctly better human beings. To do the useful and contemplate the beautiful is all that is being taught at the NCA. I was particularly impressed with the living conditions and the food served to the trainees. But nothing to beat their cricketing education. Maintaining a daily diet chart and also a diary of cricket skills is mandatory. So is video filming of all individuals.

Psychology and sports medicine are thrown in for goodmeasure to improve the overall self confidence. Admittedly all is borrowed from the Australian Cricket Academy in Adelaide, which may not appeal to the sceptic Indian. But then, what we have to learn to do, we learn by doing not with blind eyesight poring over miserable books. You suddenly understand something you have understood all your life, but in a new way. That in a nutshell is what the NCA is all about.

On a pragmatic note, I would like to mention that we should not expect miracles. It takes a good five year perseverance to be successful overnight. So let us be patient with the new concept. I am sure results will follow. It is a nice feeling to know that a system has been set at long last to throw up champions of the future. All this while, we have been banking on sheer providence. Take the example of the patient cricket followers in the Capital they have simply thrived on mere promises. And more promises. It is close to half a century that a new stadium is coming up at the Feroze Shah Kotla. The miserable have no other medicine but hope.