Board committed to development of cricket in Meghalaya: Thakur
SHILLONG: In what can be termed as great news for budding cricketers in Shillong, the city will soon have its own indoor practice facilities in place.
On his maiden visit to Shillong, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary and MP from Himachal Pradesh, Anurag Singh Thakur on Wednesday announced a package of Rs 50 lakh for the construction of an indoor practice facility at the Shillong Cricket Ground in Polo. Two bowling machines will also be installed at the location.
Thakur is the first BCCI secretary to visit Meghalaya after the State got affiliated to the associate and affiliate members category.
Addressing a modest gathering at the Cricket Ground, Polo, Thakur said that the purpose of his visit was to interact with the cricket fraternity in the State and also get a firsthand look at the available facilities. He also lauded Meghalaya for being one of the best run State’s in the associate and affiliate members category.
Thakur was nostalgic upon entering the picturesque Shillong Cricket Ground which reminded him of grounds in Himachal.
Though he played most of his cricket from Punjab, Thakur took over the reign of Himachal cricket as president in 2000. The cricket infrastructure in the Himalayan state then, according to Thakur, was similar to what it is now in Meghalaya. However, with sheer dedication of the association members the scenario underwent a sea change in merely 15 years.
“Now Himachal boasts of hosting international matches and will also host world cup matches soon. The grounds and facility, pitches, practice area etc., in Himachal are now better even than those in Mohali and Mumbai,” Thakur said adding that “if Himachal could do it, there is no reason why Meghalaya can’t.”
“We have similar conditions,” he added.
Underlining the need to have in place indoor practice facilities in a State which witnesses abundant rainfall, Thakur said youngsters have to be ensured ample practice time if they are to excel at the higher levels. Hence, the need for an indoor facility assumes importance, he added.
He also informed that to give more exposure to players from Meghalaya, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, the next edition of the Associate and Affiliate Members Tournament in January-February 2016 will feature Bihar and Uttarakhand too.
This, he said, will ensure that the players from the associate and affiliate states get to play more matches.
He assured that the BCCI will provide all possible support to promote cricket in Meghalaya.
Transparency, infrastructure, more matches for players to ensure exposure for them were the prime concerns of the BCCI, he said.
He also urged the youngsters and the State cricket body to be consistent in their approach in order to excel and finally become a full time member.
Earlier, secretary of Meghalaya Cricket Association, Naba Bhattacharjee outlined the pending issues of the association, while stressing on the need for resumption of the Associate members’ tournament and urging for sanction of the indoor practice facilities at Shillong, proposal for which was submitted in 2012.