Abu Naschim Ahmed

Guwahati, Aug. 8: Promising Assam teenager Abu Naschim Ahmed has been named among the 25 India probables for the Under-19 World Cup cricket championship in Sri Lanka slated for January and February next year.

Ahmed has also been included in the National Cricket Academy (NCA) team that will participate in the Karnataka State Cricket Association-organised MRF Trophy all-India invitation cricket tournament in Bangalore from August 12 to 30.

The lanky right arm medium pacer from the NF Railway Sports Association, who helped Assam reach the semi-finals of Polly Umrigarh Trophy and Vijay Merchant Trophy tournaments during the last couple of years, has become the first player from the state to represent the apex cricket academy of the country.

He has been training in the Bangalore-based NCA under Chandrakant Pandit, Venkatesh Prasad and Arshad Ayub since July 18. Apart from topping the fitness tests, Ahmed claims to have improved in all aspects.

?It was a very useful stint for me. I have improved on my bowling line and length, fielding and to some extent in batting,? Ahmed told The Telegraph from Bangalore.

The NCA team, led by Ambati K. Rayudu, includes seven under-22 and as many under-19 players and has India probables like Sekhar Dhawan and other leading names.

Depending upon the performance in the MRF Trophy tournament, the 17-year-old also stands a fair chance of getting selected to represent the country during a home series against the junior (under-19) Australian team from September 18.

Ahmed was also named among the 37 Assam Cricket Association (ACA) probables for the proposed exposure tour for the state senior team next month. He was also in the state senior exposure tour team that played in the Moin ud- Dowla, Buchi Babu and KSCA MRF Trophy tournaments last year.

Though he will miss the ACA coaching-cum-selection camp here commencing Thursday, ACA secretary Bikash Baruah said Ahmed would be allowed to join the touring state team in Hyderabad for the Moin ud-Dowla Trophy tournament after completing his NCA assignment on August 30.

Reposing confidence in the teenager?s capability after being selected in the NCA senior team, Baruah said the ACA would field Ahmed in the state Ranji team, too, in the forthcoming season.

?His case has also been endorsed by NCA director Brijesh Patel who called me yesterday to inform about his selection and told me that Abu has the potential to become a good player in the Ranji level,? the ACA secretary said. He further said the ACA was looking for new faces in the Ranji team this year.