Team Herald

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MARGAO: If Goa cricket has to improve and prosper, the Goa Cricket Association (GCA) would need to invest in a full-time, residential cricket academy for its junior cricketers, says Nandan Phadnis, former Maharashtra Ranji Trophy wicketkeeper-batsman and the visiting BCCI coach at the GCA’s summer camp for the junior cricketers.

Speaking to Herald on the sidelines of a practice game at the Margao Cricket Club a few days ago, Phadnis (51), a BCCI panel umpire and BCCI Level-B coach said that with the exception of a handful, the majority of the junior cricketers at the GCA’s age-group level summer camp lacked the passion for the game. 

“I suspect it may be because football and not cricket is the number one sport of the State. Also, perhaps, not much cricket is being played here,” Phadnis said.

Phadnis, who arrived in Goa in mid-April to conduct the summer camp for the under-14-16-19 cricketers cited the example of Vidarbha and Himachal Pradesh Cricket Associations which have invested in full-time, residential programmes for their junior cricketers. 

According to Phadnis, such a system enabled the cricket associations to ensure plenty of cricket practice for the junior players and a close monitoring of their game.

“This system is producing results in the two States. They are producing better cricketers,” Phadnis said.

Phadnis was also of the opinion that an academy coupled with a professional training staff comprising a main coach, a bowling-fielding coach, a trainer and a psychologist was needed to mould a good cricket team. According to Phadnis, such a training team must necessarily be given a period of five years to produce results. 

Alternately, Phadnis suggested a system which allowed junior cricketers to play a lot of cricket throughout the year. He gave the example of age-group cricket in Mumbai, where there was a vibrant, competitive, school cricket league, followed by college cricket and club cricket, which resulted in good cricketers emerging all the time. 

“Young Goans need to play plenty of matches. Only then will the standards of Goan cricket improve,” Phadnis said.

Phadnis also felt that junior cricketers in Goa were being wrongly exposed to T20 cricket. 

“This is not right, as there are no T20 tournaments for junior cricket across India. Young cricketers need to hone their skills playing two-day games or at least 50-over games,” Phadnis said.

Phadnis was also very keen that the GCA ensured standardisation of cricket coaching across the State.

“It is critically important that coaches across Goa speak the same language to prevent confusion in the minds of junior cricketers,” Phadnis said.