From the fabled days of a young boy taking his brother to a demanding coach and praying that he be given one opportunity to showcase his skills at the nets, it's now come down to the coach going to the parents of young boys', handing them personalised training modules and fee structures, and praying that they be given one opportunity to work with the boy.India's cricket coaching industry has come a long way.Package includes breakfast, warm-up and stretching, followed by a post-workout drinks session (25 grams protein powder and 25 grams dextrose in water); football/yoga on alternate days, followed by low-fat soft cheese; batting, bowling and fielding sessions to be conducted by NCA-certified coaches followed by granary bread sandwiches and isotonic drinks; one-on-one discussions with a Level III coach as and when required; and finally some fruits, mixed nuts and seeds. Pack and leave. Welcome to the great Indian cricket coaching academy! Pay the fees, enrol, and live the ultimate dream of learning the country's favourite sport.17 years ago, to be precise, the Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI ), riding on money that had begun to show and popularity that had begun hitting the roofs, decided it was time to introduce a suitable structure for coaching of cricket in the country, a step that would mark the making of a booming industry as it exists today. Thus came into being the National Cricket Academy (NCA) ­ in the year 2000 ­ with the likes of late Raj Singh Dungarpur Hanumant Singh and Vasu Paranjpe, now 78, coming on board to show the way forward.The following year, the academy conducted its first Level I course in coaching, thanks to a tie-up with Cricket Australia and with the hiring of ex-Aussie wicket-keeper Rodney Marsh . "Wow! That's how we remember the expression back then," says a former India stumper, recollecting those days."Finally, Indian cricket was getting ready to serve something better than idli-sambar to cricketers after a hard day's training."It was the beginning of a new century for Indian cricket, they exclaimed. Level II was introduced in 2002, Level III in 2004. Training modules were the 'in-thing'. Cricket was turning out to be serious business. For once, engineering wasn't the only option for parents who didn't mind spending a good penny on their child's future. A Level III coach would be eligible to coach an international team, the NCA blared. A feel-good factor began to set in, the general idea that a youngster investing his time and money in the game would remain in good hands.It's a different matter, of course, that today, an individual who did his Level II at the NCA is senior coach with India's national women's team and an individual who did Level III during the same time is assisting him with a role in the support staff.This particular instance could be a coincidence, but scratch the surface and beneath lies a sea of glitches, thanks to individuals who have turned this booming industry on its head in ways that could put the mafiosi to shame.First the facts: A Level III coach stands to earn Rs 12,000 per day if he's a former India cricketer, Rs 8000 if he's a former First Class cricketer and anywhere between Rs 6000-8000 if he's played some other level of cricket or none. It is the last of these that raises eyebrows. State associations and the NCA's zonal academies have rarely hired assigned coaches who haven't played First Class cricket at the minimum. Then why were individuals ­ who never played First Class cricket at the minimum ­ allowed to undergo the course in the first place?Questions likes these are galore, even as India's gigantic coach factory continues to function like a once-oiled machine in dire need of a servicing. The likes of Dungarpur, Paranjpe and Singh had spent the better part of their lives and careers serving the game. The start of the previous decade also marked the beginning of a new generation that was taking over.At Rs 12,000 per day, a Level III coach ­ if purposefully employed ­ stands to earn Rs 3,60,000 per month on an average. That's good money, but the question is if the money is being spent well. The BCCI has once again tied up with Cricket Australia (CA) in a move to reaccredit coaches who had undergone Level III training more than 12 years ago.Their insight has led them to believe that most of these coaches haven't kept themselves updated with the latest training patterns and modules so as to remain abreast with the most modern of coaching standards. Level III coaches are up in arms."It's like asking a graduate of 2004 to once again write his exams in 2017 to prove that his degree is still valuable," says a coach.So, in tune with that line of thought, 30 names will be shortlisted soon for reaccreditation. What about the others? The bigger question is who exactly is in charge of reaccreditation and what are the norms for such a process? Nobody in this vast coaching fraternity has any idea whatsoever.Here are some well-known anecdotes that BCCI may do well to remember, more aptly a blast from the past, highlighting the rotten state of this industry: A) Some years ago, a boy was going to one particular academy, scoring tons of runs but not getting selected. He then sought advice from a journalist friend and changed the academy. The boy changed the academy and was selected. B) Somewhere around 2004, a cricketer's family claims they were asked to pay Rs 25,000 to play the Shatkar Trophy. It made way for a huge controversy before the association involved sacked the selectors.These are just narratives to brush the mind. Reality, to be told, is dirtier to far more serious degree. "The funny thing is, in 2004, a batch of approximately 30 individuals attended Level III and nobody failed. That's how things began to happen once the rot began to set in," recollects a coach.The BCCI and the Committee of Adminis trators (CoA) recently took cognisance of a NCA-land deal that had been lying unattended for several years. "We finally got it done", they said. The fact is there's a lot to be done at the NCA that they're yet to even come close to figuring out."There's no system in place," say two coaches, who have no idea of what the NCA has been up to in the last few years. "The weird fact is that today you don't have to necessarily be a Level III coach to get a BCCI or a NCA assignment but the real fact is there was a circular sent out underlining this long time ago. So what exactly does one rely upon? The circular or whims of a rotting system?" they say.With due respect to their cricketing careers, Narendra Hirwani and WV Raman are the pres ent examples. Even Cricket Australia, whose modules India depends on, doesn't hire coaches who haven't completed Level III.Now, here's an even more interesting fact: Six individuals, with no background in Level I or Level II coaching, have recently gone to Crick et Australia for a paid Level III course in Bris bane and Hong Kong and have will receive certificates for the same."One neat shopping centre this has become," says the fraternity. The BCCI, a section of it, if not the whole, has a good idea of what is going on but given the frailties of Indian cricket ad ministration, there's no bandwidth, whatsoever, to deal with things outside the ambit of legal battles. "The thing is nobody knows how assignments are handed out. One coach gets three back-to-back assignments ­ U-19 West Zone, Under-16-South Zone, Under-16 NCA ­ in one year and there are scores who are sitting jobless at home. The head coach of an academy in Vidarbha gets an NCA appointment for Un der-23. Coaches above 60 years of age are still with zonal academies.Is there a policy in place at all?" is what the fraternity wants to know. Once the likes of Dungarpur, Singh and Paranjpe left, BCCI has chopped and changed NCA positions to suit its own impulses, depending on equations between administrators, and appointments coming to those who enjoyed 'friends with benefits'."It'll take a body like CoA years to figure this mess out. They talk about Conflict of Interest.Here's one: A Sports Authority of India (SAI) employee is working with an IPL franchise and is also associated with a national team. Now, go figure," says a senior coach.