Bhubaneswar: Just elevated to the BCCI senior selection committee, former India fast bowler Debashis Mohanty feels that life has come a full circle for him. Debashis has been a player, then a coach before finally being inducted into the junior selection committee. Now he has moved a step forward to the senior level and he feels that it is a role which has a lot of responsibilities.
Talking to reporters here at the Sahid Sporting Club, the former India fast bowler said that his main aim will be to identify the real talents in India. He also asserted that Odisha cricketers will have to perform consistently at all levels across all formats to attract attention.
“I am now a national selector, so I have to identify talented players from all over India, not just Odisha,” Debashis said. “Odisha cricketers will have to perform consistently at all levels, be it the Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Ranji or Duleep Trophy. If they do so, I will certainly highlight their performances,” Debashis added.
Debashis was quick to point out that the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) is on the right track to unearth talented players. “I am sure in the next few years we will see a lot of talented faces in Odisha cricket,” he asserted.
Debashis was asked as to which role he enjoyed the most – player, coach and now selector. “Each has its own responsibilities, but the one role I have most enjoyed is representing India on the cricket field,” said the man who was a member of the 1999 World Cup team.
“Coaching is a different job altogether and as a selector, the main focus is to identify talents that will be useful for India. Each role has its pros and cons. Frankly speaking, I have enjoyed each and every role,” Debashis added.
Debashis, Abey Kuruvilla and Harvinder Singh have all played together and incidentally, all the three were fast bowlers in their prime. Will playing together help in their role as selectors? “Well, certainly there will be better understanding as we all know each other,” Debashis said. “It will enable fruitful discussions,” he added.
Debashis identified Priyam Garg, Kartik Tyagi as players to look out for the future. He also said that a cricketer should identify the format he is comfortable in and hone his skills accordingly. He also spoke highly about current Odisha skipper Subhranshu Senapati stating that the player is a very ‘talented’. “If he works hard, he has very bright future,” stated Debashis.
PNN