Guwahati, Aug. 3: The Assam Cricket Association (ACA) has found itself in a fix while preparing for the Ranji Trophy after suffering a setback by losing four key players to their employer, Railways.

The association has been left with only a handful of experienced players among the probables after the quartet of ace spinner Arlen Konwar, paceman Ranjeet Mali and batsmen Parvez Aziz and Shiv Shankar Roy were asked by Railways to join their trials at Delhi, on since Monday.

ACA secretary Bikash Baruah said the state body had requested the railway authorities to spare those whom they would not field in the Ranji team, but no favourable response had been received yet. “Instead, they had asked the players to take no objection certificates from the ACA. But we had to suspend the players for not responding to our calls to attend the ongoing camps. So, the question of issuing NOCs does not arise,” he said.

While Konwar, Mali and Roy have “reluctantly” joined the Delhi camp, Aziz is playing in the English club league.

In the meantime, the ACA has decided to try left arm spinner J. Syed Mohammad of Tamil Nadu, as a prospective replacement for Konwar and another Chennai batsman, R. Sathish, to replace Aziz and Roy in the Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai later this month. “They are yet to get the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association’s NOC,” Baruah added.

ACA insiders said if Railways retained all four, the ACA might have to look for a third outstation professional within this month.

The ACA is also planning to take the team to Bangalore after trying the probables out at Chennai. “We plan to send the probables on a monthlong exposure-cum-preparatory camp to Bangalore, where we are trying to arrange matches against local outfits,” ACA joint secretary Umananda Bora said, adding that if the plan did not materialise, they would try to revive the S.P. Barooah tournament that could not be organised last year owing to dearth of a ground and inclement weather.