Why are you against the concept of zonal academies?
What is the point? I am not against it, but if you want to have five zonal
academies, then why not simply have one academy for each association? The
BCCI will give each association a Rs 5 lakh annual subsidy, let the
association foot the rest of the expenditure. The associations in any case
have enough money to do that. I think -- and this is my personal opinion --
that instead of five zonal academies, each association should run its own.
But you had once told me that there should be only one academy?
Yes, I did, but now they want more. So if that is the case, then I am saying
fine, let's have more academies, why only five zonal ones?
See, right now we have one national academy which has been running smoothly
for the past one year. I say, let it run for at least three years and then
let us review the situation. I think, right now, it is too early to have more
academies -- we don't need them at this point. Of course, all this is my
personal opinion, it is for the working committee to decide.
What has been the contribution of the National Cricket Academy over the past
one year?
Four or five players from there have played for India, very successfully;
some of them have even proved to be match-winners.
What about Harbhajan Singh? He was kicked out of the academy -- where would
we have been without him playing in the recent series against Australia?
That does not have anything to do with the training programme. Suspending him
was a disciplinary decision. I have nothing to say on the matter.
You are quoted in the press as saying you will "attack" Raj Singh Dungarpur
in the meeting at Delhi; what is that all about?
That is not true. I didn't say that. I only said that we would discuss the
matter in the committee meeting this Tuesday. There is nothing to attack, or fight about,
we are basically going to pass the working budgets for the coming year.
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