KOLKATA: The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has got down to planning for the forthcoming season after the BCCI announced the domestic calendar on Saturday. With poor show by the boys in the truncated last season, the CAB is keen to make a fresh start with major change in the senior team's support staff.
While former India opener Arun Lal will remain the coach, it was learnt the association is interested in having the service of former national selector Devang Gandhi too. However, his role is yet to be fully chalked out. The team's fast bowling coach Ranadeb Bose might also make way to his former Bengal colleague Shib Shankar Paul while former Bengal spinner Sourashis Lahiri is likely to come in as an assistant to Lal.
The CAB is planning to hold an Apex Council meeting this week where they will decide on when to start pre-season training of the boys. It is likely that the team will start with light training together from the middle of next week. However, the monsoon season might deprive them of good outdoor practice initially and there is little chance of the team playing in pre-season tournaments in other states this time also.
Jaffer on the radar
There is a possibility that former India middle-order batsman VVS Laxman might relinquish his role as a consultant of CAB's Vision 2020 programme. The association is already in talks with a number of alternatives and Mumbai's Wasim Jaffer has emerged as a front-runner for the post. The CAB officials feel if available the experience of this giant of Indian domestic cricket will come handy for the Bengal cricketers.
