Former India opener and Bengal captain Arun Lal will be the mentor of the state Ranji Trophy team for the forthcoming season.
After days of uncertainty, there was some respite for captain Manoj Tiwary and coach Sairaj Bahutule.
Both Manoj and Bahutule will remain in their respective positions for the first two Ranji matches and their continuance will depend on their performances.
Bahutule had not been asked to join the ongoing preparatory camp at the Jadavpur University Salt Lake campus ground. That had triggered speculation on the former India leg-spinner’s future as Bengal coach.
Manoj, meanwhile, is in New Delhi on Deodhar Trophy duty.
“We need results… Everyone has to deliver. It won’t happen like this till I’m around… We just can’t let things pass,” a visibly annoyed Sourav Ganguly said at Eden Gardens on Tuesday.
“Both Manoj and Sairaj will continue in their respective roles for the first two matches. Their performances will then be reviewed and a decision taken,” the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president said.
“Arun Lal will be mentor of the team for the entire season. Everybody has to work under him.”
Bengal begin their Ranji campaign against Himachal Pradesh in Amtar from November 1 and take on Madhya Pradesh next at home from November 12.
After making the Ranji semis last season, Bengal made a disastrous start this time, failing to make the knockouts in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. And that has hurt Sourav the most.
“If you consider the last two seasons, we won around 90 per cent of the matches… And this season we fail to qualify! Why is there so much inconsistency?
“Even a team like Delhi makes it to the final… We provide everything… The best coaching and practice facilities… Performance has to be the last word,” said a livid former India captain.
Lal, who is overseas and will be back in the city on Friday, sounded confident about his role. “I’m overjoyed and honoured to be associated with Bengal cricket again. It’s a great challenge,” Lal, a member of Bengal’s Ranji Trophy-winning team in 1989-90, told The Telegraph.
This will be Lal’s first direct involvement with the game after having fully recovered from cancer. For the record, Lal had been the Bengal coach in the late 90s.
“The current lot of players are extremely talented and very good. Our aim is to win the Ranji Trophy.
“The results have been disappointing which means something is amiss… Maybe the belief... It seems there are three things lacking — focus, target and belief… It’s a team game and everyone has to work together towards achieving the goals,” explained Lal.
