Leipus appointed chief physiotherapist of NCA

Andrew Leipus, a former physio with the India team, has been appointed as the chief physiotherapist of the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. Leipus has already started working at the NCA, with his contract running for one year.

Leipus takes over from Nitin Patel, who decided to step down in May this year, citing personal reasons.

Leipus was the Indian team's physio between 1999 and 2004, when John Wright was the head coach. In 2004, he turned down a three-year contract extension with the BCCI to spend more time with his family.

Along with the South African trainer Adrian Le Roux, Leipus was instrumental in the transformation of the Indian players' attitude towards fitness and proved a catalyst in India climbing up the international rankings' ladder in the early noughties, a run that including reaching the 2003 World Cup final.

"We wanted to kick-start things at the NCA and hence we decided to recruit him," a BCCI official said on Leipus' appointment.

Leipus has been a frequent visitor to India as he has been the physio at Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL for many years. He also is a consultant at Pro Sport, the fitness initiative of India fast bowler Zaheer Khan that operates out of Mumbai.