The Hindu : Sport : NCA's mantra

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Sport

Sport

NCA's mantra

Vijay Lokapally

NEW DELHI: Trainees at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) would be taught the importance of studies when shaping their career. According to Lalchand Rajput, NCA director (coaching), emphasis would be put on combining cricket lessons with studies.

"We want to develop their overall personality. Being a cricketer is good, but then you can't ignore your studies. There is no guarantee that everyone who comes to the NCA would make it big in cricket. You have to have a cushion if you fail as a cricketer. I know parents want their son to excel in cricket, but at the NCA, we would like them to understand that it would not be done at the cost of studies," said Rajput, a former Test batsman.

Former Test fast bowler Javagal Srinath had always advocated youngsters to take their education seriously. "Education is important in life. It is imperative that you finish your education even as you develop your cricketing skills," was Srinath's opinion.

Media relations

The NCA will also be imparting lessons on developing media relations. "The youngsters should understand the role played by the media and we want to prepare them to face journalists with confidence. We will invite mediapersons to come and interact with young cricketers. It will also help the cricketers to understand the media better," asserted Rajput, who had secured 83 per cent to top the Level III coaching course conducted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

Elaborating on the growing need of professional training to young cricketers, Rajput said, "we did not get this kind of exposure. Cricket was not so big when we were young, but at the NCA we are concentrating on developing all-round cricketers. The emphasis is on honing their skills and preserving their natural style. Physical fitness and mental toughness are important ingredients of their training. We want to ensure that a player who graduates from the NCA ought to be different. He must stand out among a crowd of cricketers because of his positive attitude."

Gordon to assist

The NCA is also obtaining the services of sports psychologists Sandy Gordon and Toby Martin. The coaches at the NCA are convinced that a youngster has to be mentally strong and must be able to handle pressure.

"Match skills and mental development can be honed with the help of sports psychologists. This year 125 youngsters will benefit from this scheme of watching and learning. We would be inviting successful cricketers from the past decade to come and speak to NCA trainees. By sharing their

experiences, these players will be able to guide the young generation on many aspects of international cricket," Rajput noted.

Interaction

Another important introduction from this year will be the interaction between former greats and the trainees. This move is aimed at helping the young students understand the history of cricket. "It is important to respect past cricketers and also know about their achievements. We want the trainees to respect history and we intend to invite greats like G.R. Visvanath, E.A.S. Prasanna, V.V. Kumar, Bedi, and Chandu Borde," said Rajput.

The NCA is also planning to start a library at its premises. The library will store material on past cricketers and video films of some great Indian triumphs. "We will invite heroes from those matches to share their experiences,'' Rajput added.

Standard pitches

Among the important innovations this season, the NCA will suggest the BCCI to develop standard pitches.

"We are providing the best of facilities so that we produce sound cricketers. It is important that they get to play on quality pitches. In this regard, we would request the board to form a curator orientation programme that would help youngsters to play on all kinds of pitches — slow, hard, fast, bouncy, spinning. We should have a competitive infrastructure if we wish to produce quality cricketers who can excel in all conditions,'' observed Rajput.

The fist step in this direction has been taken by the BCCI. A team of NCA under-17 and under-19 trainees will undertake overseas assignments.

"These tours will be on reciprocal basis. We would also like to host teams from other countries. It will help us swell our pool of replacements for the senior team. Only strong bench strength will keep the seniors on their toes. Such healthy competition will help us improve overall as a team for all conditions," concluded Rajput.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail