Skipper under scanner: It’s acid test for Shukla

Less than a week before the premier national championship gets under way,the CAB has taken a risk of sorts — it has picked a team just for the opening match,and more interestingly,it has selected a captain who will be on probation for the first two matches.

Back in the tournament’s Elite format again,new coach Roger Binny’s boys will open their account in Pune on November 3,against Maharashtra.

Laxmi Ratan Shukla will lead the team in the Ranji opener,but with a caveat — he will strictly be on trial for the first two games. As sources in the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) would have us believe,the temperamental allrounder’s performance as player and as captain will be closely monitored in the opening games against Maharashtra (away) and Baroda (at home). If the team fails to come up with satisfactory performances in these two outings,and specially if Shukla comes a cropper,then the baton would be passed on to the experienced Deep Dasgupta.

For obvious reasons,the Jagmohan Dalmiya-led CAB dispensation isn’t making Shukla’s acid test overtly known. Explains a senior CAB functionary: “The captain will be assessed in the first two matches. And all the players will also have to be on their toes. There’s no more room for anybody to take things for granted,be it the captain or the rest of the players. But having said that,once we’ve sent the message across to the team that they can’t take things easily,we also need to reassure them and make them feel relaxed and focused before they begin their Ranji Trophy campaign.”

Till recently,Shukla has been well ahead in the race for the captain’s job,until Bengal’s disastrous campaign in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 East Zone meet at Dhanbad. Binny’s boys not only bungled big time in three of the four matches there,the team spirit had gone for a toss after rifts within the team showed up in the open. And that was followed by rifts within the power factions of the CAB and its selection committee led by Sambaran Banerjee.

It is learnt that the chain of events snowballed into the administration finally taking a hard stance towards Shukla’s role as team leader,even as Dalmiya held hectic parleys with senior players like Dasgupta,Ranadeb Bose and Manoj Tiwary.

Meanwhile,as the selection panel today finalised the squad for the Maharashtra match,Dasgupta and Rohan Gavaskar found their usual places back in the side,lending weight to the otherwise susceptible batting line-up. But again,upon the recall of the former ICL rebels,and that of experienced opener Arindam Das,the axe fell on local young guns Shreevats Goswami and Rohan Banerjee.

It is learnt that the CAB president will have a pep-talk with the entire team before it leaves for Pune.

Squad for first match: Laxmi Ratan Shukla (captain),Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper),Deep Dasgupta,Rohan Gavaskar,Manoj Tiwary,Arindam Das,Abhishek Jhunjhunwala,Dibyendu Chakraborty,Ranadeb Bose,Ashoke Dinda,Sourav Sarkar,Sourasish Lahiri,Shib Sagar Singh,Iresh Saxena,Arindam Ghosh.