Four cricket stadiums to be upgraded for APL matches, says ACA president

The Andhra Cricket Association is working with the single objective of developing and upgrading cricket stadiums across Andhra Pradesh, including those at Visakhapatnam, Mulapadu, Mangalagiri and Kadapa, to make them ready to host matches, said ACA president and Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath(Chinni).

Addressing the media after inaugurating the newly constructed ACA administrative office near NTR Circle in Vijayawada on Tuesday(January 6), Mr. Sivanath said Vijayawada would serve as the seat of administration of the ACA, while Visakhapatnam would have a dedicated office to oversee cricket development in the State.

He said that in the past 19 months, following the formation of the NDA government in Andhra Pradesh, Visakhapatnam had hosted twice the number of international matches compared to what the city had seen over the previous 10 years. Referring to facilities at the Visakhapatnam cricket stadium, he said the dressing rooms, restrooms and boxes had been upgraded, and that the media box would also be modernised shortly.

The ACA president announced that a women’s cricket academy would be established in Visakhapatnam, while a full-fledged cricket academy, on the lines of the Board of Control for Cricket in India Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, would be set up at Mulapadu. He said tenders had been invited to develop 50 rooms at the academy to provide residential training facilities for players.

Mr. Sivanath said plans had been drawn up to develop the Mangalagiri stadium as a multi-sport centre capable of hosting matches, while the Kadapa cricket stadium would undergo major infrastructural development. He said the number of rooms at the Kadapa stadium, currently 30, would be increased to between 50 and 70.

All four stadiums are being readied to host Andhra Premier League matches, he added.

On talent identification, Mr. Sivanath said two-day scouting camps would be organised in 82 Assembly constituencies in rural areas of the State to identify and encourage promising players. Those selected would be provided coaching for three months.

Later, ACA general secretary Sana Sathish Babu said that, in line with the association’s development plans, New Zealand cricket coach Gary Stead and former Indian women’s cricket team captain Mithali Raj had been appointed as coaches.