Junaid Ali practises spinning the ball. Picture by Srinivas

Jamshedpur, June 6: Junaid Ali can well be an answer to dearth of left-arm spinners in Jharkhand.

The young slow bowler, who has a good loop, has for the first time found a slot among Ranji probables.

Former Ranji cricketers feel Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) should focus on Junaid who has in him the qualities of becoming a fine left-arm spinner.

“More hard work from Junaid can propel him into a fine slow bowler. Left-armers are difficult to come by in Jharkhand. A solution may be found through the youngster,” said an official.

In fact, the absence of quality slow bowlers has always been felt after the retirement of M.R. Bhalla, Avinash Kumar and K.V.P. Rao.

The threesome served the erstwhile Bihar Cricket Association for a number of years.

The void created after their exit was filled by Shahid Khan and later Shahbaz Nadeem.

But with Khan carrying on the show with his experience and young Nadeem losing some bite in his bowling, focus has shifted to finding a competent left-arm spinner.

Junaid, who recently turned 23, said he is excited about becoming a Ranji probable.

“The authorities have reposed faith in me. Now it is my turn to show my worth,” he said, adding his performance in a trial match recently paved the way for his selection.

“I claimed three wickets and bowled with accuracy. I was confident of getting the nod as a probable,” said this graduate from Karim City College who is keen to perfect his arm ball.

“I haven’t fully mastered the arm ball but am focusing on learning more about the trick,” Junaid, a fan of Daniel Vettori, said.

He is also looking forward to meet new Ranji coach Rajender Singh Hans, a former left-arm spinner.

Junaid has emerged as a spinner under the guidance of Rao, the chief coach of Tata Steel Coaching Centre.