“My heart swells in pride that as many as seven top-class cricket players of Vidarbha are playing in different national teams -- six boys and one girl. All of them are the products of the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Cricket Academy. Many more are getting ready for big-league cricket. This development is certainly integral to the overall training and coaching effort the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is investing in. Yet, there are reasons to believe that the VCA Academy is the only entity that has so many of its products shining at the national -- and international -- levels”. Thus says Prashant Vaidya, former India player and overall head and chairman of the Cricket Administration and Development Committee (CADC) that runs the VCA Cricket Academy, the official training arm of the region’s apex cricket body Vidarbha Cricket Association. Billed as India’s fastest bowler of his time, Prashant Vaidya says, “We have Bharati Fulmali, a member of India’s national women’s cricket team that won the Women’s World Cup and the recent Women’s Asia Cup.

 

We also have two India players Yash Thakur, a right-arm fast bowler; and Harsh Dubey, a left-arm spinner and batter. Then there are the four India ‘A’ players from the VCA Cricket Academy -- Aman Mokhade, a classy opening batsman, Yash Rathod, a left-hand batter; Praful Hinge, a right-arm fast bowler; and Nachiket Bhute, an all-rounder and medium pace bowler. “There are several other players raring to go, eager to demonstrate their talent at the national level. Our Academy is brimming with such players. The atmosphere at the VCA Stadium in Civil Lines is charged with enthusiasm and promise”. Things have changed a lot over time -- training methods, coaching styles, fitness training, skills training.

 

There are specialists for all these to groom raw talent into applicable virtue. Adds Prashant Vaidya, “Over time, our approach has become far more professional than before. Previously, the aspiring kids started playing almost directly for Under-14 category, when actually they become paradoxically overage for fitness training. That makes them rather slow in uptake of specific skill training since much of it is based on physical fitness of high standards. So, we changed our approach. For the kids between 10 years and 12 years, we launched what we call ‘Athletic Development Programme’. These are the kids from different districts. They are 135 of them all together. Every two months, they are brought to Nagpur for one week of intensive training and monitoring of their individual progress. “In this category, 90% work is on physical fitness, and only 10% on cricket. But the kids get fantastically ready for the game in this slot. So, when they go to Under-14 category, they are super-fit and all geared up to pick right skills. “In the Under-14 category, we have 45 children.

 

Likewise, we have 45 children each in Under-16 and Under-19 categories. For the Above-23 and Ranji Trophy levels, we have 60-65 players training extensively and intensively. With the number as big as of 335 boys and some girls, the VCA Cricket Academy is a big community pulsating with hope and promise and dreams of good future.” Each child is monitored closely. Whenever needed, he or she is shown the videos of his\her actions, so that right improvements can be introduced. However, at the Academy, the stress is not only on fitness and skill-training, but also on inspirational story of the game’s greatness and its icons. In addition to technological support, the stress is on building the spirit of the sport in the kids’ heads and hearts. “We also attach much importance to parental support to kids. In initial years, we welcome parents to keep a tab on what their wards are doing. Later, as the kids grow in age, they become independent and can take care of themselves. Until those stages, parental support is of immense value,” says Prashant Vaidya. “Our coaches and specific skill-trainers are competent persons. We have regular interaction going on among us -- in the offices and on the ground.

 

What makes our collectivism special is our respect for one another. That rubs on the kids in the Academy as well. “Today, competition is intense. Only one or two percent of kids go to the top. The rest find their own slots in the massive cricketing activity. No matter that, there is optimism and positivism in the Academy. We are very proud that as many as seven young people from our Academy are parts of Indian cricket teams at the national and international levels. But, this is just a beginning. We look forward to more -- more children doing better ... !”, Prashant Vaidya insists, his eyes shining in confidence.