Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid strengthen beleaguered NCA's social media and medical teams

The National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru has often been lambasted for the way they handle players' injuries in recent times. Players such as Wriddhiman Saha, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah have publicly gone to criticise the way they were treated at the NCA for rehabilitation. Despite being headed by former India captain Rahul Dravid, calls have been growing for the NCA to undergo many changes in order to not become a liability for Indian cricket in the future. 

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NCA to undergo major changes under Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid

At the NCA's recent meeting which was attended by all the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) office-bearers in Mumbai, including President Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid, the major agenda of it was the need for a medical panel. A top BCCI official told a leading news agency that the board will consult a London-based clinic, Fortius, for setting up its medical panel. He added that the position of the head of fast bowling, which has been lying vacant for a long time, will also be filled soon.

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The official also said that the person will be in charge of setting up a fast bowling program at the NCA, much on the lines of the MRF Pace Academy in Chennai. He went on to say that the board will also hire a nutrition head for the NCA. The academy has mainly been in the news for all the wrong reasons and has been criticised for its lack of communication, hence a social media manager will also be coming on board to provide regular updates on the happenings inside the facility. The move could also go a long way in repairing NCA's reputation.

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The NCA was unsuccessful in detecting Bhuvneshwar's sports hernia and was also at the receiving end of criticism when it was discovered that Bumrah and Pandya opted for personal rehabilitation for their recovery rather than relying on the NCA staff. Ganguly has already made it clear that NCA will be the primary centre for cricketing development programs in the country and all India players will have to go to Bengaluru for rehabilitation. He also expects the new NCA facility to be ready in 18 months' time.

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