'Excellence centre will keep us best in all formats'

PTI Bengaluru: VVS Laxman, the head of the newly inaugurated BCCI Centre of Excellence, on Sunday said the modern facilities here will help players upskill themselves and maintain top-notch fitness level which will in turn help India maintain their dominance in all three formats. The erstwhile National Cricket Academy (NCA), which was operating at the Chinnaswamy Stadium premises since 2000, was rebranded as BCE and moved closer to the international airport, and the facility was inaugurated by BCCI secretary Jay Shah on Saturday in presence of other dignitaries in a closed-door ceremony.

"I think beneficiaries (of Centre of Excellence) will be not only the future generation of cricketers, but also the current generation of cricketers. They come to upskill themselves, get ready for the challenges and various series they are going to participate in," Laxman told a select media gathering in his first interaction after taking over as NCA chief in 2021. Laxman also chose the occasion to dispel the notion that the centre is a mere rehabilitation point for cricketers. "There is a misconception that the cricketers come (here) only for rehab. I am sure that all the players who come to this facility will be a part of this programme and will strive to achieve excellence, will strive to become the best they can. "In the process, the Indian cricket team in all the formats will be probably the best in the world. That is the whole objective of the BCCI, and all the programs we run at this centre," he noted. Laxman then offered a detailed glance into the stateof- the-art amenities that's awaiting cricketers at the Centre of Excellence. He termed them as a ground for the players to prepare themselves for any challenges ahead.

"It is a dream come true for all the players, especially for someone like me who has played for the country at the highest level. I think it is a very important moment. We have here three different soils (for pitch preparation) – the red soil from Mumbai, the local soil from Mandya (in Karnataka) and the soil from Orissa (Kalahandi). "Then the practice wickets, which again has got three different soils there, close to 45 practice wickets, including five cement tracks there." Laxman said this will help cricketers experience alien conditions even before they embark on a tour. "What we want is the players to know how to adapt to different conditions. So, in one place, instead of them travelling from one city to other city, they can have the experience and exposure of playing in different soils and different kind of pitches, which will enhance their performance." However, the former India batsman said the Centre of Excellence will also keep recuperation of players as one of it's prime priorities.