SHILLONG: 10th April 2022 (PTI Source)
The Former Indian cricket captain in town to see the Senior Men Challengers Cup 2020 finals at Polo Ground said that building infrastructure is essential for the state and the North-East to excel in cricket.
He was pleased with the progress of cricket in the North-East.
He also spoke about the region's suitable weather, suggesting that an Indian National team training camp should be established in the city.
"I believe Shillong is a perfect place; the weather is also good. The ground here is very good, so I think the Indian team should have their training camp here in Shillong," he said.
He added that apart from setting up the training camp, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should also look into building an academy in the region.
"BCCI should also build an academy here because there are many talented players in this region," he said.
Azharuddin was all praise for Rangdajied United FC's performance in the 2nd Division I-League and said that it would be great if more teams from the NE could make it to the top division.
"It is good to see a team from the North East doing well in I-League. I hope in the future, more teams from this region can make it to the top division," he said.
Azharuddin also had words of encouragement for the state's cricketers, telling them to "keep working hard and believing in themselves".
"I think cricket in Meghalaya has improved a lot. The state team has been doing well, and I think they just need to keep working hard and believing in themselves," he said.
He also urged the state government to provide more support to cricket in the state.
"I beleive the state government should also support cricket a little more because it is a very good game and can help in the state's overall development," he said. The Meghalaya Cricket Association organised Azharuddin's visit to Shillong.