ACA to Establish Three Centers of Excellence to Boost Cricket Development in Rural Andhra

Visakhapatnam: The Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) has announced plans to revolutionise cricket development across the state, with a particular focus on nurturing talent in remote areas, including Araku. This announcement was made during a special meeting organised by the Visakhapatnam District Cricket Association on Sunday.

ACA president Kesineni Sivanath (Chinni) revealed plans to establish three Centres of Excellence in the state’s southern, northern, and central zones, modelled after the BCCI’s facility in Bangalore. “Our vision is to uncover hidden cricket talent among youth at the village level across all 175 constituencies,” Sivanath stated during the meeting.

The development plans include a significant upgrade to Visakhapatnam Stadium, which will be equipped with international-standard facilities. The minister emphasised that the government’s support for sports development has been encouraging, enabling these ambitious initiatives.

In a major effort to strengthen grassroots cricket, the ACA leadership held meetings with cricket associations from four districts—Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, and East Godavari—to address local challenges. The North Zone Cricket Academy in Vizianagaram is also slated for an upgrade, with similar consultations planned with the remaining nine district associations.