New Delhi, Jul 21 (IANS): The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and consultants Pricewaterhouse Coopers are working overtime to prepare the plan on the 40-acre land acquired for state-of-the-art National Cricket Academy (NCA) near Bengaluru airport. With work slowing down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the board is set to ask the Karnataka government for an extension till November to submit the project plan.

Speaking to IANS, a BCCI official said that while the initial date of submission of the plan was before October, the board is set to ask the state government for an extension till November due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

"We had hired the services of PwC for the project and the pandemic has already caused us a delay. We were to submit the plan to the Karnataka government in October as it is the Industrial Area Development Board land. But things were derailed due to the pandemic and we will now seek an extension till November.

"The plan had to be submitted within three years of acquiring the land. Once the plan is finalised and cost is drawn, tender processes will have to be floated. Ideally, it should take us another two to three years to see the new NCA functioning," the official said.

Asked if there has been some inputs on the planning part by the likes of NCA head Rahul Dravid or BCCI President Sourav Ganguly, the official said that there have been discussions with the two when it comes to the cricketing side of things.

"Obviously they have given their inputs when it comes to the cricketing side of things. We are looking at making this one of the best facilities not just in India, but across the world when it comes to training and rehabilitation. So the input of these two legends of the game is of prime importance," the official said.

"But for now the construction plan needs to be drawn up and submitted at the earliest. K.V.P. Rao did give a presentation on the NCA part as it is only administrative for now."