Hyderabad, Sep 13 (IANS): A new National Cricket Board -- Indian Schools Board for Cricket (ISBC) -- has been launched by former captain and Padmashree Dilip Vengsarkar here on Monday.
ISBC is a non-profit organisation that will search, nurture and groom young cricketing talent across India, especially in rural areas (and less privileged) to give a new future and opportunity to the hidden and promising rural cricket talent.
Speaking on the occasion, Sunil Babu Kolanapaka, Founder and CEO of the Board said, "ISBC has entered into grooming school cricketers. TSPL was a huge success with 5120 school cricketers, 31 districts of Telangana state participating in the tournament and 550 matches in which the villagers saw some extraordinary cricketing talent and the 'Indian Schools Board Cricket' has started today to develop this talent."
Dilip Vengsarkar thanked the people of the board for this occasion and said, "It is a good initiative. This will give a good opportunity and platform to the children of our young generation. Good and talented people will get the right direction, especially those from rural areas. Students with hidden talents will get a golden opportunity."
Ankesh Rathore, president, said, "India needed an organised structure to produce school cricketers, which the ISBC would accomplish."
Whereas, Padam Raj Parakh, secretary, said, "We are delighted to have a school group consisting of 19 countries, under which we plan to organize a "School World Cup" by the end of 2023.
ISBC will start cricket activities for 2023 from the month of July-August. The schedule and participation will be announced after December 2022. ISTL will have academic scholarships, introduce specialist cricket training at ICC level academies in India and abroad.
The members who have been unanimously elected to ISBC for a period of three years are president Ankesh Rathore (Rajasthan), vice-presidents Sandhya Agarwal (Madhya Pradesh), Y Sudarsana Babu (Andhra Pradesh), Sangram Lonkar (Maharashtra), secretary Padam Raj Parakh (Rajasthan), joint secretary Mohammad Yousuf (Tamil Nadu), Dr S Senthil Kumar (Tamil Nadu), treasurer D Srinivas Reddy (Andhra Pradesh), executive committee Jayesh Gandhi (Maharashtra), Varsha Sharma (Madhya Pradesh), T Srinivas Reddy (Andhra Pradesh), Ch Vijay Kumar (Andhra Pradesh), Amit Bokadia (Rajasthan), Abhishek Avala (Telangana), founder-CEO Sunil Babu Kolanpaka (Telangana), chief patron Dr K Laxman MP, patron Avinash Gehlot MLA (Rajasthan).