Guwahati, May 29: The Assam Cricket Association (ACA) has convened a meeting of its technical committee on June 8 to seek suggestions regarding the recruitment of a coach and outstation professionals for this season’s Ranji team.
Disregarding the suggestions by a certain section of governing body members, it was decided at the last governing body meeting at Hojai on Saturday to recruit outstation professionals. They were considered indispensable as the state-groomed players “lacked consistency”.
ACA secretary Bikash Baruah said the meeting was basically being called to ensure the recruitment of a competent coach as the previous coach, Sanath Kumar K's three-year contract had expired and he decided to join the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.
“Though we had almost resolved to do away with the practice of recruiting outstation players after the last season’s efforts did not yield the desired results, the general body suggested that we should give it another try. We have decided to go with some internationals with whom our players can gel well and eventually become match-winners. We are not discouraging or disreputing our boys, but we should admit that we are still short of consistent batsmen,” Baruah said.
The general body meeting has however, suggested the recruitment of a coach-cum-player for the Ranji team.
Sources in the technical committee said some foreign players’ names, particularly those from Australia and Sri Lanka, could also come up for discussion and if the ACA permits, the technical committee would proceed further towards negotiate deals with the players concerned.
Besides, players like Amal Mazumdar of Mumbai, Niraj Patel of Gujarat and few other leading players of the national outfit would also figure in the list to be discussed, technical committee sources said.
However, the recruitment will depend on the availability of such players as well as an affordable bargain.
Some of the technical committee members have claimed that they have already started negotiating with a few Australian players involved in the ongoing Indian Premier League.
