Fast bowling, of late, has been Bengal’s strength, especially in red-ball cricket, playing a significant role in their two Ranji Trophy runners-up finishes since the 2019-20 season.
In order to beef up and further strengthen the team’s fast bowling stocks, Bengal are set to form a pool of quicks who will be monitored throughout the year, including the off-season.
With Mukesh Kumar already in Team India’s scheme of things after being included in the Test and ODI squads for the upcoming West Indies tour, his new-ball partner Akash Deep — currently playing in the Duleep Trophy for East Zone — stands a fair chance to be selected for an ‘A’ tour or two going forward this year.
Bengal thus need to form a supply line so that the duo’s absence isn’t felt when they are busy with India or India ‘A’ commitments.
Besides, the initiative is being taken so that Bengal have more bowling options when it comes to the white-ball leg of the domestic season. Their performance in both the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy hasn’t been impressive, compared to how they have fared in Ranji in the competition’s last three editions.
“We have discussed the matter with the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) as well and we are on the same page. Forming this pool will not only help in bringing up more back-up pacers, but also help us address injury problems,” Bengal chief coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla told The Telegraph on Thursday.
“Last season, some of our frontline quicks missed a few games, particularly during the white-ball leg. That did hamper our prospects to an extent. So this time around, we want to make sure we don’t face the same problem,” former captain Shukla added.
The 41 probables picked for the coming domestic season include close to 20 seamers, who will all be part of the pool. Left-armer Ravi Kumar, who was one of the star performers when India U-19 won the World Cup crown last year, Debapratim Halder, Mohammed Kaif (younger brother of senior India pacer Mohammed Shami), Shubham Sarkar and Sandipan Das are among the probables and will be included in the pool.
“All these quicks and seamer all-rounders will be monitored even during the off-season by the bowling coach (Shib Shankar Paul), physiotherapist and fitness trainer. For those players not in the main squad, they’ll be able to utilise that time well and be in shape in case they are required. Fitness-wise too, they’ll be better placed when a new season begins,” said Sourashish Lahiri, also a member of the coaching staff.
Bengal’s pre-season is likely to begin on July 5.
NOC likely for foreign leagues
Calcutta: The BCCI is considering implementing regulations on the participation of Indian players in overseas leagues at its apex council meeting on July 7.
The Impact Player rule may also be altered for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 domestic tournament.
Specific rules may be in place for retired players willing to play in foreign leagues such as ILT20 in the UAE. The apex council may decide that they will need to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Board if they plan to be involved in Indian cricket in any capacity. Players could also have to go through a cooling-off period before making themselves available for such leagues.
Ambati Rayudu will play for Texas Super Kings in the inaugural Major League Cricket in the US in July.
The participation of Indian teams in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, will also be discussed. A full-strength women’s team and a second string men’s side are likely to be made available.
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