KOLKATA: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly emphasised on skill development and fitness aspects while attending a review meeting on Thursday after Bengal failed to make the knockout stages in Syed Mushtaq Ali (T20) and Vijay Hazare Trophy (50-over) meets in the current domestic season.
The former India skipper felt players need to show guts on the field as coaches can only guide, but it’s the players who will have to execute things in the middle. The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) too decided to put in place a specific fitness programme for the players. Every Bengal player will have to pass through three stages of fitness criteria in order to find a place in the side. A benchmark and standard are being set and all players will need to maintain that from the beginning to the end of the season.
However, the association retained the core team management but cut down on its support staff, announcing that only a coach and his assistant will travel with the side from now on.
The other support staff members like Ranadeb Bose and Utpal Chatterjee, coaches for pace and spin bowling respectively, will operate with the Vision 2020 boys. The Vision coaches will not directly work with the Bengal boys during the season.
An assistant coach will be named soon. A detailed Vision 2025 programme will also be rolled out soon with focus on individual skills, creating a healthy supply line of players as well arranging clinics and camps for players.
Interestingly the whole cricket operations unit will now operate separately.