ACA has appointed former all-rounder D Kalyankrishna as the new Director of Cricket of the association, who will be responsible for enhancing grassroots cricket and nurturing the future talent in the state.
In a major move to boost the development and administration of cricket in the state, the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) has appointed former first-class all-rounder D Kalyankrishna as its new Director of Cricket.
After stepping back from the commentary bench, Kalyankrishna, who was a former Deccan Chargers player in the Indian Premier League (IPL), will now handle all cricketing matters in Andhra.
Kalyankrishna Takes Charge of Cricket Operations
The appointment puts Kalyankrishna in charge of Andhra’s cricketing infrastructure, player development, coaching programmes, talent identification and cricket operations in general.
The ACA feels he will be able to contribute to the state’s long-term cricketing success, owing to his former playing days and understanding of the game.
He has been appointed after a trend of the state cricket associations to appoint former players to key cricketing positions.
Focus on Grassroots Development
A key objective of Kalyankrishna’s is to improve the grassroots cricket scenario.
He aims to enhance the standard of coaching by bringing in advanced coach education programmes and create more opportunities for young cricketers in Andhra.
The former all-rounder is also planning to introduce a structured school cricket league in all the districts to develop a good talent pool.
Vision to Produce More India and IPL Players
Kalyankrishna has stated that nurturing Indian internationals of tomorrow is one of his top priorities.
Nitish Kumar Reddy is the sole active international cricketer from Andhra and the new Cricket Director is looking forward to having lots of Indian players representing both the country and Indian Premier League teams in the future.
He thinks that better coaching, facilities and home routes will help the best youngsters to get to the top.
Andhra Looking to Build on Recent Progress
Last year, Andhra had a competitive domestic season with Ricky Bhui as captain and Gary Stead as head coach, making it to the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals.
The team also had some promising displays in the domestic white-ball formats in India, suggesting a gradual improvement in all formats.
Now, the ACA is hoping that Kalyankrishna’s arrival will help the state capitalize on that momentum and make it one of the top cricket development hubs in India.
Administrative Changes Continue
Kalyankrishna’s appointment coincides with the time of the restructuring of the administrative setup of the Andhra Cricket Association.
The association is also looking for a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) after Girish Dongre stepped down and the search is already underway.
With a new leadership in place, Andhra is entering a new era and the association hopes to establish a more robust cricketing system that can deliver more consistent performances at home and abroad.
