DEC 26: Former Test player Brijesh Patel on Tuesday said he was prepared to head the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in the event the BCCI asked him to do so.``It is still a rumour to me, but if it comes true, I will grab the opportunity,'' he told PTI here, reacting to reports that he was likely to replace Hanumant Singh, who had quit as the NCA Director.
Patel, who is also the KSCA secretary said that since the NCA was situated here, 'it will be easy to monitor and take stock of the proceedings'.
Cricket Board Secretary Jaywant Lele had indicated on Monday that Patel was likely to replace Singh and Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Vasu Paranjape as coach of NCA.
The resignations of Singh and Paranjape, citing personal reasons, came after Sunil Gavaskar resigned as NCA Committee member, following a tiff with former BCCI President Raj Singh Dungarpur.
Lele had denied any connection between the resignations of Singh and Paranjape and that of Gavaskar, saying the two had tendered their resignations two months ago and that it was accepted at the NCA meeting on Friday.
Meanwhile, the KSCA got the 'katha certificate' of the 30 acres land granted by the government for the NCA activities. ``We are grateful to the government for sanctioning the land opposite to Hindi film actor Sanjay Khan's farm,''Patel said.
Patel said he was hopeful that the NCA would start functioning in the next two years at the allotted land.
He spiked speculations over shifting of NCA to Chennai.
Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
