Kolkata: Coach Sairaj Bahutule has been given a two year extension as coach of the Bengal team on Friday. The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) also extended the contract of bowling Coach Ranadeb Bose by one year.
The Bengal team will have their pre-season camp at Aloor in Bangalore. The tentative date for the camp is from July 12, ten days before the KSCA tournament. Manoj Tiwary and his team are also scheduled to play two more practice matches against Gujarat in Kolkata.
The CAB today appointed Gujarat’s Parthav Patel as the physio of the Bengal team. He will be replacing Kamalesh Jain.
Coach Sairaj Bahutule looked visibly happy after his discussion with Sourav.
“Apart from trainings, we will have practice games too. We will be having the camp at Aluur as there is less probability of rain along with well established facilities. Last year also we had the camp there” said Bahutule to the reporters.
On being asked whether he was surprised to see only Sudip Chatterjee being selected in the India A team for the tour of South Africa, Bahutule replied “Yes I am a bit surprised, I think Manoj, Dinda all these players should have been given an opportunity as they have been performing well in recent time. Manoj had a good IPL as well. But these things are not in our hands as the selectors have their own way of thinking. Sudip has got the chance; he should grab it, look ahead and hopefully play for the country.”
Left arm spinner Pragyan Ojha is mulling a move out of Bengal. But Bahutule rubbished such reports, saying, “Pragyan’s issue is still under discussion. There are still talks going on and they have not reached any conclusion.”