Aamir & Birendra to Start Academy

Aamir Akhtar and Birendra Bikram Shah, two well-known cricketers, are all set to inaugurate a professional cricket training center – Sangrila Cricket Academy.

Aamir Akhtar is better known as a cricketer playing professionally in the minor leagues of England rather than a national player who represented Nepal in its very first 1999 Youth World Cup. Birendra Bikram Shah, Akhtar’s colleague in that journey, is more into teaching cricket to the students in a private school.

But when the captain of Luton University in England returned home, he and his friend brought up a noble idea of starting a ‘good’ and professional cricket academy. With the expertise and earnings they had, they have formed Shangrila Cricket Academy which will formally open on January 29.

The academy spread on three-ropanis of leased land in Kupondole will not only have six strips of practice wickets — two cement, two mat, and two turf — a garden canteen and hanging ball practice area apart from other regular academy equipment but will also be unique in two things. “The first thing we have is a viewing gallery,” Aamir explains. “This is a netted area from where the parents of the students and other interested can view the training sessions.”

The other thing is the night practice facility targeted mainly for the corporate executives who do not have time to practice during morning or day. “We hope to have regular flood-lit training in evening,” Birendra says. “But we can even hire out the facility to interested parties if they want.”

The two turf wickets are being prepared under supervision of Komal Pandey, curator at TU Cricket Ground with the logistic support from Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN). Although Aamir, whose holidays are nearing an end, won’t be available to coach the students regularly, Birendra, national captain Binod Das and former cricketer Manoj Soodh will be around for tutelage.

The two former national cricketers hope to upgrade the academy into a international standard one. “We will have bowling machines by the end of the summer,” Aamir says. The cost of beginning the academy is estimated to be around Rs 1,400,000 initially. “But we are ready to spend more on it to add facilities,” he adds.

The academy will run training sessions in morning, afternoon and evening and is hoping to get 250 cricketers within a month of opening. “The monthly fee will be around Rs 1,000,” Aamir informs.

The Academy will be third of its kind in the Kathmandu Valley. The first, Everest Cricket Academy, is almost non-existent while Baluwatar Cricket Club is running an academy on its own.

As others, the academy hopes to bring out more quality cricketers for the country to help Nepal reach the top level. “My dream is to see Nepal playing top level cricket,” Aamir says. “And this is one way I can help with.”