VVS Laxman lavishes praise on Jay Shah, points out his contribution in development of new NCA facility

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 29 (ANI): Former batter and National Cricket Academy head VVS Laxman pointed out the contribution of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah in turning the dream of a new state-of-the-art National Cricket Academy into reality.

On the outskirts of Bengaluru, Shah and BCCI president Roger Binny inaugurated the new NCA, which will be fully functional in early 2025.

Laxman lavished praise on Shah’s contribution to turning the brand new facility into reality and said while speaking to the media, “One person I would definitely want to single out is Jay because I have seen and I have been part of various meetings when he came here, interacted with the L&T (construction) team.”

“The kind of timelines, the kind of deadlines he has put on them, and almost while empowering them, he made sure that all of them followed the timelines,” Laxman added.

Laxman also believes that the new NCA will help the future generation of cricketers and added, “I think the beneficiaries will be not only the future generation of cricketers but also the current generation of cricketers.”

“Since the time I joined the NCA in December 2021, all the cricketers have come here, not only for rehab. Obviously, there is a misconception that the cricketers come only for rehab. But they come to the NCA to upskill, get ready for the challenges during the various series they are going to participate in,” he added.

On Sunday, BCCI held the 93rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Bengaluru. During the meeting, the members of the general body appreciated the efforts of the office bearers for the work undertaken with respect to the new National Cricket Academy campus, dubbed the Centre of Excellence near the Bengaluru International Airport.

In that context, the AGM also featured the screening of a 17-minute-long tribute video to Shah, highlighting the strong services he rendered to Indian cricket in his role as the board’s secretary.

Spanning over 40 acres, this facility is designed to become the epicentre for nurturing cricketing talent and advancing sports science in India.

The Centre of Excellence features a total of three grounds and 86 pitches, including both indoor and outdoor areas, highlighting its capacity to provide comprehensive training facilities, as per a press release from BCCI.

At the heart of the Centre are three world-class cricket grounds. Ground A, the main ground, boasts an 85-yard boundary with 13 meticulously maintained Mumbai red soil pitches ready for play.

Equipped with advanced floodlighting and state-of-the-art broadcasting facilities, it can host and telecast matches under lights. Grounds B and C serve as dedicated practice grounds with 75-yard boundaries, featuring 11 Mandya soil pitches and 9 Black Cotton soil pitches from Kalahandi, Odisha, respectively.