Calcutta: Former India and Bengal cricketer Gopal Bose will be the recipient of the Cricket Association of Bengal's Lifetime Achievement Award this year.

Bose represented India in an ODI against England at the Oval, in July 1974. He had also scored a century in an unofficial Test against Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in the 1973-74 season. In first-class cricket, Bose made 3757 runs from 78 matches and also took 72 wickets.

However, Bose's selection did come as a surprise initially. Not because he is not a deserving candidate, but because the CAB had earlier indicated that Arun Lal's name would be proposed for the award.

Goutam Dasgupta, chairman of the Board of Trustees, said: "Look, I am not aware how Arun Lal's name came up. It is the Board of Trustees who decides on the matter. We did so today."

The association is now likely to invite Lal as the chief guest for the Annual Awards Ceremony, which will be held on July 23. Also, Sunit Ghosh, who is the only living Test umpire from the state, will be presented with a special award.

CAB's finance committee also met on Thursday. In this financial year, the association has an excess fund of Rs 3 crore 52 lakh. At present, the CAB has a fixed deposit of Rs 90 crore, the most that the association has had at any point in time.