Mangalagiri is a quiet township, one that is approximately an hour’s drive from Amaravati, the capital city of the now-divided Andhra Pradesh.Situated between Guntur and Vijayawada districts, this township doesn’t boast of anything extraordinary. But as one enters the Nowlur rural area, it is not easy to miss a huge stadium that is currently under construction.There are about a 100-odd workers dotting the 23-acre Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) International Stadium, which is likely to be ready some time this year.
Amble further across this area, and you’ll be greeted by an indoor stadium, where around 35 children are busy practicing, some even going up against bowling machines.
Welcome to one of ACA’s pet projects, a part of their ambitious plan to take cricket to each and every district of the state. As things stand, the state has nearly 22 grounds, where first-class cricket can be hosted.Although Ranji Trophy fixtures are limited to Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Ongole, Kadappa, and Vizianagaram, each of the 13 districts combine to have between them 39 sub-centres. And three residential academies at Kadapa (U-14), Mangalagiri (U-16) and Vizianagaram (U-19) are the focal point of this project; they are now doubling up as the feeder for Andhra’s cricket system.
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For a team that has been a part of the Ranji Trophy since 1953-54, it doesn’t boast of numbers that are far from inducing envy.In their 297 first-class matches, Andhra have won 42, lost 127 and drawn 128. The state has contributed only one Test player to India — MSK Prasad, the current chairman of senior selection committee — and one more international (Y Venugopal Rao).
Apart from these two, nobody has even flirted with a national call-up, speaking volumes about where Andhra used to stand in India’s pecking order for the sport.
But they woke up six years ago, putting together a host of projects for promoting the game. The state has since seen a steady rise, with its U-14 team winning the South Zone tournament thrice in a row, and its U-16 contingent winning it once. This season, the senior side made it to the quarterfinals of the Ranji Trophy, while the U-23 side ended runners-up in the CK Nayudu Trophy.
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The three academies have played a stellar role in this upsurge. Every academic year, ACA recruits 35 boys for each. These youngsters are assigned specialised coaches (Level 3, Level 2, and Level 1), a trainer, and a physio.The project is Prasad’s brainchild; he was then the director of operations, and his focus was centered on rural areas.Trials are conducted in each district, shortlisted candidates are called up to the academy, and after another week-long trial, the list is pruned down to 35. Once these children make it to the academy, everything is taken care of by the association.
“Apart from providing them with equipment, we take care of food, stay, medical expenses and also education. We have tie-ups with a few schools that provide these kids with free education. Even the U-19 boys are enrolled in colleges. On an average, we spend around `11,000 per month on each player,” says ACA secretary CH Arun Kumar.
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With most of these players hailing from rural areas, ACA has faced difficulties while convincing parents to allow their wards to take up cricket.But, with free education being a part of the programme, ACA has been able to not only rope in boys, but also girls for its academy in Guntur. Located in JKC College, the women’s academy has training facilities, a ground, and accommodation under one roof.“We know these people come from humble backgrounds. Most of them have a farming background, and we don’t want them to focus only on cricket. Even if they are not able to make it in cricket, by providing education, we give them alternate options,” explains Arun.
“All of them take studies seriously. Last year, 95 per cent of them passed their final examinations, with all scoring above 60 per cent. In fact, those who don’t stay at the residential complex are given a monthly stipend of `2000 for diet. This goes directly to the parents’ bank accounts. It continues even after they drop out of the academy, provided they are not able to meet their expenses.”
At the academy, each player’s performances are monitored over a two-year period. Once a player graduates from the U-14 academy, he is then put into the U-16 one, and the process goes on till the U-19 level. The door, though, is not completely shut for those who fail to make this graduation. “We can’t say that a player won’t develop just because he failed to move to the next level. Some might be late bloomers; we can’t predict where they will go. So we call their parents and inform them about where their wards stand. We keep a tab on what they are doing, and if their performances improve, we get them back again,” explains Arun.
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Despite shelling out a whopping `85 lakh per year, ACA doesn’t seem in the mood to compromise on this project.Mostly relying on BCCI’s annual grants and keeping corporate help at bay, the association has been able to establish a world-class set-up that banks only on local coaches for guidance.
When Prasad floated the idea, ACA officials visited the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru and Vidarbha — where a similar setup was underway — for drawing inspiration. One among this project’s pioneers is Dr Kinjal Suratwala, who after spending two years with the association as a consultant, took over the reins from Prasad after he became a national selector. “Most of us (office-bearers) are businessmen. Through our contacts we were able to negotiate good deals. Which is why we didn’t ask for any corporate help. This is solely our project,” remarks Arun.
“It is our duty. Why should we ask for help? Even when it comes to selecting players for the academy, we don’t go by recommendations. All are selected in a fair manner, and the boys also believe that they just need to trust their talent. We had issues in getting players from Vijayawada because parents there don’t want their kids playing this sport. They want only education… it is that city’s typical mindset.”
Suratwala deos most of the work behind the scenes. Apart from handling recruitment of coaches and other support staff, he is being talked about as the go-to man in Andhra cricket. “My two years as consultant helped me understand how cricket works here. From there on, I concentrated on developing the academy.”
Having been part of the NCA and with a wide range of contacts, he has been able to rope in trainers and physios who were part of NCA or with the India U-19 or A team.“We go for local coaches because that helps these cricketers. We catch them young, and 12-16 years is vital for an aspiring cricketer. Considering the background they come from, local coaches are able to communicate better, and the kids too open up to them,” elaborates Suratwala.
“This year, we brought in mental-conditioning coaches because we felt it was time for these guys to get exposure. Across all teams, our success rate while playing at home was about 80 per cent, but it went down to 17 per cent when we played outside. They had to get out of their comfort zone, and the signs are encouraging. These boys are equal when it comes to talent, if you compare with Mumbai or Delhi. What they didn’t have before was how to channel that. Now they have a way to do so.”
a present meant for the future
In a departure from the past, the association decided to concentrate more on fringe players. As the domestic season was underway, these players were simultaneously in other tournaments, just to be match-ready if there was a need. With these projects already churning out players for the state, the association is intent on creating a pipeline that maintains a regular supply of talent.