Himachal cricket body wants to set up national academy

The Himachal Pradesh government is considering a request by the state's cricket association to be provided with a piece of land in Dharamsala to develop a national cricket academy, a minister said.

The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) made the proposal to develop the academy in Dharamsala, some 250 km from the state capital Shimla, state Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma told IANS.

Headed by Anurag Thakur, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president as well as the BJP's Lok Sabha member, the HPCA wrote to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh last week requesting that 50,000 square metres of land be provided around Dharamsala town for the cricket academy.

"It will be an opportunity for the state to get a national academy. Since Anurag Thakur is heading the BCCI too, mobilisation of resources would not be a problem now. But the state has to take a call on allotting land to us at the earliest," HPCA Press Secretary Mohit Sood said.

HPCA Honorary Secretary Vishal Marwaha also wrote to the chief minister on August 18, 2015, that the BCCI "is contemplating to shift the national cricket academy from Bengaluru to some other place in the country".

Sood said the HPCA has not yet received any commitment by the state government.

The HPCA is also playing host to a BCCI conclave at its showpiece stadium in Dharamsala from June 21 to 24.

During the conclave, the BCCI would hold its working committee meeting there.

The conclave includes a workshop for media managers of all state cricket associations, a meeting of Ranji captains and coaches, Indian Premium League (IPL) governing council meeting and BCCI working committee meeting.

The Thakur-administered HPCA has developed five stadiums in the state.

--IANS

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