The Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) will start its own cricket academy modelled on the Bengaluru-based Centre of Excellence (COE), earlier called the National Cricket Academy (NCA), MCA President and NCP-SP MLA Rohit Pawar said at an event held on Sunday.
The academy will be called the 'Ajay Shirke - Maharashtra Cricket Academy', named after the former MCA president who also served as treasurer and secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), he added.
Pawar also said that the association will start financial assistance of ₹75 lakh each for six district cricket associations, and similar support will be extended to other bodies in the future.
There are a total of 21 districts under the jurisdiction of the MCA, and the six districts to have received assistance are Jalna, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Pune, Kolhapur, Satara and Parbhani.
"The MCA remains committed to the development of grassroots cricket. The announcement of our very own cricket academy is a major step in this direction. MCA will continue to strive to take Maharashtra cricket to greater heights," the Karjat-Jamkhed MLA said.
During the event, former India captain Shubhangi Kulkarni was honoured with the MCA Lifetime Achievement Award, whereas former India player Kedar Jadhav, who retired in June last year, was given the Legendary Cricketer Award for his "remarkable contribution" to Maharashtra and Indian cricket.
Players, coaches, fitness trainers, support staff, and Maharashtra Premier League (MPL) and Women's Premier League (WPL) team owners were also honoured.
