Bharat Arun: Expert training

Jamshedpur, July 2: Bharat Arun, a former Test player, may soon visit Jharkhand to train cricketers here.

The Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) has initiated talks with Arun and is keen to avail of his services as a coach. Though Arun has a busy schedule with the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore, the state body wants to use him for short and specific stints.

Arun, a medium-pacer of yesteryears, is an NCA Level-III coach. He trained the Bengal Ranji outfit last season.

JSCA secretary Rajesh Verma said they are keen to rope in Arun to train Ranji as well as players of their junior teams.

“We have initiated talks with Arun to know if he can spare some time for us. NCA director Dave Whatmore was also present when we met him in New Delhi recently,” he said.

Verma told The Telegraph that Arun’s expertise as a coach can be utilised to bring in some improvements in the performance of their players.

“Well, Arun cannot afford to become a full-time coach for Jharkhand as he has a tight schedule. Plus, we also have to see if he has committed to other states,” the JSCA secretary said.

Arun had visited the steel city last year as a faculty of the NCA to conduct Level-I coaching exam.

Erstwhile Bihar Cricket Association had also availed of services of former Test players Lalchand Rajput and Arun Lal for short coaching stints. Besides, former Bihar Ranji leggie Anand Shukla and Mumbai left-arm spinner Padmakar Shivalkar have also worked with the panel of coaches.

According to the JSCA secretary, the association would shortly finalise the names of the coaches who would be responsible for various teams — Ranji, under-22, 19 and 16.

“We have some names — Kajal Das, V. Venkat Ram and K.V.P. Rao and a couple of other former cricketers — in mind. But we are yet to take a final decision in this regard,” Verma added.

While Das is a former Bihar medium-pacer, who till last year functioned as chairman of the Ranji selection panel, Venkat and Rao are former captains and NCA-accredited Level-III coaches.

Verma said that unlike last season they have decided to hold the training camps a little late.

“We conducted the training camps in June-end last season. But the same will be held from next month. We are hoping the rains will not play spoilsport,” he said.

The schedule would be conducted in three separate phases stretching over a fortnight or more, he added.

While the first phase of the training camp would focus on physical aspects, the second and third would be reserved for the nets.

“Rain is a big factor as far as conducting the camps efficiently is concerned. We are keeping our fingers crossed,” added Verma.