Cricket Academy of Pathans (CAP) - a venture by Ace Cricketers Yusuf and Irfan Pathan is growing fast via franchise route. The company came into action in the year 2014 in Vadodara with centres at New Delhi, Noida, Bengaluru, Pune, Patna and many more. New Delhi based CAP, plans to take the count of their academies to 25 by the end of this financial year. In a tête-à-tête with Yusuf Pathan and Harmeet Vasdev, Managing Director, CAP we got to know more about the brand and what kind of partners they are seeking to join hands with!
Why have you chosen franchise route for CAP?
The franchise route we feel is more practical with regards to the expansion of this brand pan India and the cricketing world. As a company, we cannot buy off or lease/rent the sheer size of land required to operate cricket academies across the country. Therefore, the franchise route makes more sense, as interested franchisees tie up with us, and we provide them with everything-- the brand name, intellectual resources, equipment, coaches, managers, and backend team to operate the academy. In case a franchisee does not have the required ground size, we conduct a three-way tie-up with schools/colleges/independent grounds to use their facilities to help them assist operate the academy. This way, it is a win situation to all parties involved. Franchising also is a better option as it generates employment and connects different people from different walks of life, directing them towards a common goal.
How will you keep a check on the quality at all academies?
The required infrastructure to keep a constant check on the functioning of all academies is put in place before a new academy is launched. All academy coaches and managers are trained and evaluated on the CAP Curriculum by the Head Coach of CAP and the Management staff of CAP before the launch. The CAP curriculum is an international standard curriculum developed by Greg Chappell and Cameron Tradell of Australia. After beginning operations, the management keeps a check via internal software on a daily basis, and regular audits are conducted on all centres to evaluate infrastructure upkeep and the quality of delivery.
Tell us about your expansion plans by next year.
We are planning to add a total of 50 academies by the end of next year.
What kinds of partners are you seeking to join hands with?
We are constantly in touch with aspiring entrepreneurs in the sports industry, sports enthusiasts, schools and other educational institutions to expand our business. We are actively looking for tie-ups with innovative companies who produce new-age cricket coaching equipment that we can provide to our academies all across the country. In the last year, we have tied up with esteemed organizations like OPPO, OLA and also the Indian Army. OPPO sponsored students from economically weak backgrounds for 2 years of coaching at CAP. OLA sponsored students of their partner drivers for one module of the CAP Curriculum. The Indian Army sponsored students for one module of the CAP curriculum from Kupwara district in Kashmir.
The future of Cricket academies in India and what challenges did you face while opening it?
The future looks great. Cricket academies in India have evolved over the years and are headed towards a scientific approach to coaching, with a sharp focus on the holistic development of budding cricketers, not just their cricketing skills. Many academies, including ours, now have international tie-ups in regard to their curriculum and coaching methodologies.
We’ve faced many challenges on our road to success. In 2014, we ran a pilot academy in the Pathan brothers’ home city, Vadodara, to test the viability of the project. We understood well that cricket being by far the most popular sport in the country; it was going to be a very tough challenge. In spite of that, the project turned out to be a success. Since then, we have expanded to almost all corners of the country, facing regular challenges depending on the locations of the academies, but we have a very able management team that has been able to manage these obstacles that appear naturally on the road to ultimate success.
Few tips for budding entrepreneurs
- To be successful in their respective industries, aspiring entrepreneurs must focus on what the customer wants as well as what the market requires. They must look for vacuums to fill within the industry.
- They should be able to create a strong team around the idea of a common goal and must have the intent and desire to grow their business and succeed.
