Cheteshwar Pujara to visit U16 coaching camp in Nagaland

As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to spread the game of cricket in Northeast India, Indian Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara is all set to share his invaluable experience with the budding cricketers from that region. The elegant right-hander will visit those parts and interact with the under 16 boys of that region who are currently undergoing a coaching camp in Dimapur, Nagaland. As a part of the BCCI’s plan to nurture talent and encourage cricket activities in the region, Pujara is scheduled to train the boys from five north-eastern states - Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Nagaland for two days.

Pujara, who is not a part of IPL 2016 , has definitely taken up a noble cause to aid the emerging cricketers of that region. Earlier, it was reported that the apex body was planning to launch an academy, under the aegis of the National Cricket Academy, in either Shillong or Dimapur.

The launch of the planned academy was to be preceded by selection trials in Northeast and then a camp.

Need to nurture talent in smaller states

Talking about his upcoming stint with the youngsters, Pujara said, "It is an honour for me to share my experience with young cricketers. It is a nice initiative by the by the board to promote cricket in the Northeast. We need to nurture the talent in smaller states.”

Besides the Under 16 camp in Dimapur, an Under 19 camp is also underway in Shillong. Both the camps are set to be supervised by former India internationals, National Cricket Academy (NCA)- appointed coaches, physios, trainers and video analysts.

The Board is also dwelling on the idea of playing a combined team from the Northeast (excluding players from Assam and Tripura who already play in BCCI-affiliated tournaments) in its junior-level competitions in the upcoming cricket season.

The 28-year-old set an example for everyone when he invested in a cricket academy on the outskirts of Rajkot. To catapult the youngsters into Gujarat’s cricket system, he had come up with a plan of training the budding talents free of cost.

Acknowledging the importance of organising zonal camps in the off-season, Pujara said, “I have been a beneficiary of the system. Saurashtra now is a strong centre, but earlier we were not in the same league as Mumbai or Karnataka. I was picked for the camps in the NCA and trained in Bangalore. Being a part of the NCA helped me in my early days."

The batsman also talked about his plan, “ I will share my experience of playing domestic and international cricket with them. I will guide them how one must prepare before a game so that when they play competitive games, they are well equipped and can perform well. Since they are young, it is appropriate to make them aware of the importance of preparations to succeed at the higher level.”