Deep Dasgupta likely to become East Zone selector, Devang Gandhi also in fray

New Delhi: Former India wicketkeeper-batsman Deep Dasgupta is a strong contender for the post of national selector from East Zone when Saba Karim's tenure ends in September this year.

According to the well-placed sources, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), whose turn it is to select the candidate from East Zone wants Dasgupta but another former Bengal captain Devang Gandhi's name might also be discussed. "Deep is an acceptable candidate for all the powerful people in the CAB. However since it is a cricketing decision, it will depend on CAB president Jagmohan Dalmiya (who is also the BCCI president) and joint secretary Sourav Ganguly.

Sourav's view will matter a lot since it's a hardcore cricketing decision" an infuential CAB official told PTI yesterday. 38-year-old Dasgupta, who had played 8 Tests and 5 ODIs from India during the 2001-02 season has been a former Bengal captain who has played 83 first-class matches. His notable performance was a Test-saving half-century against a high-quality South African attack at Port Elizabeth even though his highest Test score was a century against England at Mohali.

While Karim was a candidate of Jharkhand (he played his first-class cricket for Bihar and Bengal, last few years), it is Bengal's turn this time. The last selector from Bengal was Raja Venkat but he was a choice of the Sharad Pawar faction as his candidature was not endorsed by CAB at that time. Venkat, who had played 40-odd first-class matches was chosen by Pawar faction primarily because he was one of prominent faces of the anti-Dalmiya movement.

When asked if there are some other names who can be discussed from other eastern states, the source said, "The only names outside Bengal that are doing the rounds are those of Debashis Mohanty and Shiv Sunder Das from Odisha. Mohanty and Das are prominent cricketers from East Zone. They can be considered either for senior or junior selection committee." There have been talks that either Dilip Vengsarkar or Mohinder Amarnath could be brought back to head the senior selection committee.