After the thoroughly revised draft of India's Future Tours Program (FTP) at the International Cricket Council (ICC) was approved by the BCCI's general body on Monday, the cricket board has now set its sights on the revamp of the National Cricket Academy (NCA).

A meeting of all those associated with the NCA - from a coaching and administration perspective - has been called for in Bengaluru on Tuesday. The BCCI, which completed the payment and registration for 40 acres of land that's been kept aside for purposes of re-launching the academy, intends to build a new infrastructure for which an administrative head is being roped in.

As reported by TOI, Tufan Ghosh, a hospitality industry stalwart, will be coming on board to head the NCA project following which the onus will be on the BCCI to work on appointment of a full-time staff.

"This is where the BCCI needs to have a vision in place. Whatever is planned needs to be done keeping the next 25 years in mind. A project of this scale will require an exhaustive international consulting before capable individuals can be brought on board," say those tracking developments.

The NCA will look to bring on board a technical director too, while Ghosh takes over as Chief Operating Officer (COO).

"BCCI has to put in some serious work," says a former cricketer-turned coach. With adequate knowledge in understanding how some of the global sports academies function - Australia's Centre of Excellence, for instance, he put an array of requirements in perspective: Head coaches in batting, bowling, fielding and other areas; a head for sports science with physiotherapists, doctors and psychologists reporting to the individual; a full-time bio mechanist heading a team of data / video analysts; director of coaching education heading a team of zonal coaching heads alongside pushing for online education; a director for zonal academies heading a team of coaches from all zones; a director for development of northeast; a talent scouting team on the lines of the Talent Research Development Wing (TRDW); Youth team head coaches for the junior level. "These are the basics," he said.

In September this year, the Indian team management too had shared with the BCCI which went as follows: Minimum two cricket grounds; Outdoor practice area with pitches from Australia, English, synthetic, hybrid and Indian; Pavilion changing rooms; Match officials room; Analysis room; Indoor practice area with pitches - two each for spin, pace and batting; Multi-purpose fielding area; Hawkeye tracking and video analysis with high speed cameras; Recovery hall; Indoor and outdoor gymnasiums; Multi-media team room; Meeting rooms; Physiotherapy treatment rooms; WADA approved medicine shop and Cricket retail shop; Hawkeye; Pitch vision analysis; Bowling machines; Pitching machines; Spin bowing machines; Fielding machines; Cricket stimulator and Portable pitches for in match stimulator.

The Board intends to look into all these aspects and more as plans for a refurbished academy begin to fall in place. Those in know of further details add: "It's very important to realise that the individual heading the NCA from a technical (read: cricketing) point of view is an accomplished one. It doesn't matter if he is an Indian or an Australian.

"He should be able to lead the team with a sense of focus and direction."

(Courtesy: The Times of India)