Anand Katti

Guwahati, Sept. 5: After Delhi professional Sukh-winder Singh bade adieu to first class cricket, the Assam Cricket Association (ACA) has been eyeing Karnataka all-rounder Anand Katti to fill the vacant left arm spinner?s slot in the Ranji squad.

The selectors have already given their consent in favour of Katti as an appropriate replacement for Singh. The ACA has contacted the Bangalore-based player requesting him to come to Guwahati with the necessary testimonials for an inter-state transfer, ACA secretary Bikash Baruah told The Telegraph.

Unlike in previous years, the ACA this time left it to the selectors to choose outstation professionals for the state Ranji team from among several aspirants, said Baruah.

Apart from Katti, Chennai professional S. Vasanth Saravanan, the mainstay of the last two seasons, has confirmed his availability for the Assam team. However, last year?s double centurion against Tamil Nadu, R. Satish, has yet to confirm his position.

If Satish does opt for an inter-state transfer, the ACA will try to rope in the services of another Karnataka all-rounder, Arun Kumar, for the third outstation player, the ACA secretary said. Kumar is now playing club cricket in England.

The 33-year-old is a right-hand middle order batsman and slow left-arm orthodox bowler. Representing Karnataka in first class from 1996-97 to 2001-02, making a Ranji debut against Goa at Panaji in 1996-97, Katti has 500 runs and 68 wickets from 29 matches to his credit.

Katti also represented the state in the Irani Trophy against Rest of India at Bangalore in 1996-97.

Though Sanath Kumar, who is in contention for the coach?s job for the Ranji squad, is keen on doing away with the system of fielding outstation professionals, the ACA apparently is in a hurry to regain the lost glory of being in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group by fielding as strong a squad as possible.

A section of the ACA is also in favour of fielding only local players in the team even at the cost of playing in the Plate Group for three more years.

The ACA is, however, bent on forming a squad with as many youngsters as possible, retaining ?only a few senior players on the basis of their performance in ongoing exposure tours and various other pre-season tournaments?.