SURAJ NANDREKAR
A cricket player in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh or any other place is drafted into the state team, be it U-14, U-16, U-19, U-23 or the Ranji team, after performing and playing in at least a minimum of 25 matches.
However, on the contrary, the players selected from Goa hardly play one or two matches and based on the performance of these matches they are selected.
Shocking isn’t it? And after all this the players are blamed for poor performance at the national or zonal level when the teams perform badly.
But this piece is not about criticising Goa Cricket Association or the system, it is the weather which we are blessed with and also the scarcity of grounds.
From June to September, cricketers are left at the mercy of weather for practice and they do not get enough matches or practice for four months. To make matters worse there aren’t enough cricket grounds.
As a matter of fact, the players do not have enough match practice.
Currently, the GCA has only Porvorim ground and Sanguem ground at its disposal and does hire grounds from SAG at Campal, Chicalim and Ponda for School and Division matches.
“Goa requires a cricket stadium fully dedicated to develop local talents and an in built indoor coaching centre to run keeping in mind the monsoon season,” says former Ranji player and SAG cricket coach Sandeep Naik.
He says a plan should be chalked out by the authorities concerned for better infrastructure so that our players have uninterrupted coaching sessions to train themselves and groom for the Ranji and national teams.
When Herald approached GCA acting president Suraj Lotlikar, he said this, “We have already moved in that direction and planning to engage seven to eight grounds.”
He says the GCA is going to buy or lease out grounds.
“We are already in talks with MPT, Housing Board and Goa Engineering College and Bicholim we are going to keep some land for ourselves and develop that, besides Sanguem we have one ground. We are also in touch with Panjim Gymkhana so with this we will have more grounds at our disposal.”
Lotlikar says once the GCA has grounds, then entirely the format of leagues and school tournaments will be changed.
“We can have good quality and many days of cricket . For example U-14, U-16 we can have two or three day matches. We will re-design the format,” he said.
However, he added, this is all subject to availability of funds.
“The issue is in the Supreme Court and Lodha committee.. State associations have not been left with any funds,” he said.
About future plans, he says, “this year we will be sending the U-19 and Ranji boys to Bangalore or Hyderabad from June to August we are planning in that direction so that they have enough match practice before the tournament starts.”
