BCCI keen to explore new locations for centre of excellence

[JUGRAJ SINGH]

Prime VIP
Staff member
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is all set to shift the National Cricket Academy (NCA) out of Bangalore, after its grand plans to expand the facility met a roadblock due to a failure to procure state land.

According to sources, it was decided, after a meeting of the NCA Board in Bangalore on Sunday (May 29), that the BCCI secretary, Ajay Shirke, will soon write a letter to all state associations asking if they can provide the necessary land where a 'Centre of Excellence,' a modernised version of the NCA can be established.

"The infrastructure will be funded and run by the BCCI. However, the association must ensure that it gets the land after signing a long-term lease with the state government for it. If that condition is satisfied, a BCCI team will inspect the venue to check how feasible it is looking at weather conditions there," said a Board official.

The NCA has been based out of Bangalore's Chinnaswamy Stadium since it was launched back in 2000. In 2010, the BCCI purchased 49 acres of land from Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) for Rs 50 crore. However, following a series of PILs against its purchase, the High Court of Karnataka termed it illegal in 2013.

Keen to expand cricket in the North-East, the NCA Board also discussed the idea of launching an indoor academy there for budding cricketers.
 
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