Players are less hungry for success: Former first-class cricketer Rajesh Bora 

Our Sports Reporter

GUWAHATI: Another domestic cricket season is on the verge to end for Assam and once again State team failed to make an impressive performance as a team in the senior level. Former first-class cricketer and junior national selector Rajesh Bora feels, State cricketers become highly satisfied with small success and it is the reason behind the poor performance of the team in the Ranji Trophy. In an interaction with The Sentinel the dashing batsman, who played 66 first class matches for Assam and Indian Railways, also suggests some measures to improve the standard of the state cricket scenario. Here is the excerpt.

The Sentinel (TS): Your comment on the performance of Assam team in the ongoing Ranji Trophy.

Rajesh: I don’t say the performance is inferior but yes not up to the mark. We can do better. Cricket is a team game but Individual performance acts as a big factor on the progress of team in the next level. What I find is that our cricketers are less hungry. Small success brings high satisfaction to them and this mentality doesn’t help at all to bring consistency in the performance. I feel team is to some extent suffering for this attitude of the players.

(TS): What suggestion you would like to give the State cricketers?

Rajesh Bora: Cricketers must work hard. Now the bench mark to get select in Indian squad is very high. You can’t expect a call from the selectors unless you perform consistently in the domestic cricket and that too for consecutive seasons. Now a day’s a batsman has to score at least 1000 runs in the Ranji trophy or a bowler should take more than 40 wickets to knock the door for selection. So to reach that goal you need to perform and performance will come only when you will work hard.

(TS): It is considered that cricketers of Assam are good in limited overs cricket. But still there is no one in the IPL teams except Riyan Parag. what is the reason?

Rajesh: IPL is a huge platform and the level of competition is very high. A cricketer need to perform good in the domestic limited overs tournaments like Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 or Vijay Hazare cricket to get a call in the teams. Unfortunately there is not too many good knocks or good performance with the ball from our players in those competitions.

(TS): Do you feel time has come to take steps to bring major change in the cricket scenario in Assam?

Rajesh: Look, now a day’s cricketers are coming in the Indian squad from smaller cities also. I strongly belief, we are too capable. What we now need is to take the facilities to the every corner of the state. Assam Cricket Association should set up cricket academies in all the districts with proper facilities for the cricketers of different levels. It will help to groom the local players without shuttling them too much from one place to other. We also need to adopt scientific training.

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