New Delhi: The BCCI Friday invited applications for the post of head of cricket education at the board’s Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru after former India opener Sujith Somasunder relinquished the position to contest in the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) polls.
The full-time position is central to BCCI’s long-term vision of developing a world-class cricket education system that supports coaches, athletes, state academies and high-performance programs across the country.
The head of cricket education will oversee the design, delivery and continuous advancement of cricket and sports-science education at the COE.
Somasunder, who was holding the same position at the erstwhile National Cricket Academy (NCA) since his appointment in 2019, quit recently to contest in the upcoming KSCA elections as part of the faction led by former India seamer Venkatesh Prasad.
Both Prasad and Somasunder were earlier part of the KSCA administration when the legendary Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath had served as president and secretary.
The head of cricket education is responsible for administering all aspects of coach education, accreditation and curriculum development at the COE, including planning, implementing and reviewing all coaching courses, including Level A, B and C programmes, and conducting and coordinating nationwide refresher courses for coaches.
The role will also involve using modern performance-analysis tools such as athlete-management systems, video analytics, GPS and wearable technology to derive actionable game insights, collaborating with the head of cricket, COE on online education initiatives and the development of advanced coaching modules.
It also entails managing the re-accreditation process for coaches and ensuring world-class documentation of coaching content, working with BCCI’s umpires panel and head curator on educational seminars, examinations and specialised training interventions.
The new appointee will also be responsible for supporting coach-intake processes for COE, Zonal Cricket Academies and specialist camps, assessing suspect bowling actions referred to the COE and presenting findings to relevant committees.
As far as qualifications and experience is concerned, a proven track record in developing and delivering cricket-education programmes is a must. Active Level-3 coach (or higher) with impeccable credentials; international playing or coaching experience will be preferred, the BCCI said in a statement.
Other requirements are strong background in coach training, player-progress reporting and high-performance systems. A minimum of five years’ experience working with elite athletes; prior experience as a trainer with cricket players is essential.
Excellent communication skills and the ability to work with diverse groups across domestic and high-performance ecosystems are also one of key requirements.
PTI
