Calcutta: When the coach feels that the team is not talented enough, and even worse, says that in public, very little can be expected from such a team.

As Woorkeri Raman criticised the Bengal team, after their 122-run defeat against Railways, one felt sorry for the Wriddhiman Sahas, who finished the Ranji Trophy Group League stage with just 13 points from eight matches.

“It should be a wake-up call for the team… I wouldn’t say there’s a lack of effort, but definitely the players lack the skill to adjust to the conditions,” Raman said on Tuesday.

In what could be termed a startling comment on his wards, Raman said: “If you have got just vegetable and rice, there’s no way you can cook biriyani.”

The team suffered humiliation both home and away and advised the players to realise the need for improvement. “The realisation should be there among the players… Mental alertness is required. Without that, you can’t clinch the key moments of the game,” the coach said.

The Bengal team, at present, have four players who are in the scheme of things of the national selectors. Manoj Tiwary, Ashok Dinda, Wriddhiman Saha and the latest addition, Shami Ahmed, often get picked in the Team India squad. But Raman still feels that Bengal lack proactive players and suggested that they should play abroad during the off-season to enhance their skills.

“They must understand that they need to be proactive… They may consider playing abroad during the off-season… But there’s a definite reluctance to leave the city,” he said.