The 42-time Ranji Trophy champions lost to eventual champions Vidarbha in the semi-final last season
Abhay Hadap. Pic/Ashish Raje
Domestic giants Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) have decided to overcome last season’s disappointment in the Ranji Trophy and other tournaments by improving players’ physical standards. Fulfilling the fitness criteria will be the utmost priority, according to the association.
“Ahead of the upcoming domestic season, our main focus will be on improving players’ fitness. We lost a few championships in different age groups like U-16, U-19 and U-23 etc. due to poor fielding and lacking physicality last season. So, our CIC [Cricket Improvement Committee] President Raju Kulkarni and his committee members have decided that the players and support staff should concentrate on every individual’s fitness,” Hadap told Sunday mid-day on Friday.
Mumbai emerged champions in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, but were knocked out in the league stage of the Vijay Hazare Trophy [50-over tournament] last season. The 42-time Ranji Trophy champions lost to eventual champions Vidarbha in the semi-final last season.
“Right now, a pre-season conditioning camp for the players is going on [at the MCA-BKC academy]. The ones who fall short of the required standards, including U-19 girls and boys, will be given a programme to improve their fitness and then join the MCA camp. Raju Kulkarni will be meeting the team’s physio and trainer on July 28 and they will decide on the parameters to test each and every player,” Hadap said.
For the last couple of years MCA have organised their senior team’s probables’ camp at Alur, near Bengaluru. When asked where the off-season camp will be held this year, Hadap said: “We are checking where the facilities are available. There are a few options like Alur and Anantapur [in Andhra Pradesh], so we will check and make a decision accordingly. We have a CIC meeting on July 28 and will finalise on the off-season camp schedule there.”
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