Just having a cricket academy for the sake of it serves no purpose: Mohammad Azharuddin

Former Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin had a word of caution for MS Dhoni and Ravichandran Ashwin, as the duo have set up their respective academies to hone the skills of budding cricketers. UAE will witness three new academies, each by Dhoni, Ashwin and former Indian cricketer Robin Singh. The young cricket followers will now have the opportunity to learn the finer points of the game from the very best in the cricketing circuit.

Azharuddin said that with so many academies in place, it is important to take responsibility for the young ones and teach them in the best manner. He also added that the management should be honest and fair with the cricketer’s career and it should not just focus on making money.

I feel certain academies don’t want to produce  players: Azharuddin

“There are so many academies coming up all over. I know everyone wants to do well and gain financially, but at the end of the day academies are of no use if they don’t produce cricketers. Just having academies for the sake of it serves no purpose. I get invited to academies all over the world, but when I go there, (I get a feeling) they don’t want to produce players. I want it to stop,” Azharuddin told Sport 360 in Dubai during the UAE-India Economic Form 2017,

Anyone can open an academy: Azharuddin

The former Indian skipper, who was also a fine fielder, said that if the particular candidate doesn’t have the skills after spending a certain time at the academy then his career shouldn’t be wasted. “Anyone can open an academy but that is giving false hopes to the boys. I honestly feel if there is no skill in a boy, there is no point having him. There are some academies where boys play for four, five years. They know they can’t play. We can’t fool around with parents, with the boys’ careers. If they don’t have the skill, you can always tell them. For you own selfish reason, you can’t put a child’s career at risk.”

Academies should take kids who really want to play seriously and then produce players who go on to represent the country or the state. There are some academies who have 200, 300 kids. How are you going to help all of them?

“I don’t have any academy. If I can get good professional help, I will think about it. When I have an academy, I want to produce cricketers. If somebody is professional and wants to open an academy here in my name, I am more than happy to do it,” he added.