Former all-rounder D Kalyankrishna named Andhra Cricket Director

D Kalyankrishna, a former first-class cricketer, has taken over as the Director of Cricket of the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA), which has undergone some internal administrative changes of late. Along the lines of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), which appointed Ambati Rayudu to a similar position, the Andhra unit has taken an identical decision by entrusting all cricketing matters to a former state player.

Otherwise a familiar face in Telugu commentary, Kalyankrishna, an all-rounder in his playing days, has taken a break from his broadcasting commitments to focus on the development of cricket in Andhra.

“For the time being, I have taken a break from commentary. My vision for Andhra cricket as Director is to improve cricket at the grassroots level, work on coaches' education, and develop more coaches,” the 42-year-old, who featured in 104 games across formats, told Cricbuzz.

Nitish Kumar Reddy is the only international cricketer from the state at present, and Kalyankrishna said he would strive to ensure that more players from Andhra go on to represent India and feature in the IPL.

“I want more players representing India and IPL teams. I also want to provide players with good coaches and infrastructure. With that, I feel we can achieve our goals. Besides, I want to implement a school league structure in all districts,” he said. Andhra has seen a few internationals leave the state. First, Hanuma Vihari obtained an NOC, and later KS Bharat announced his retirement.

The side, led by Ricky Bhui and coached by Gary Stead, reached the quarterfinals of the Ranji Trophy last season. In the white-ball competitions, the state reached the Super League in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and finished seventh in its group of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the association, Girish Dongre, has left, and the ACA has advertised for the position, seeking a professional with 15 years of experience in a senior leadership or management role.

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