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ShareAhmedabad, Ahmedabad: Gujarat suffered a huge blow on the eve of their season's first Ranji Trophy tie against Orissa when strike bowlers Mohnish Parmar and Amit Singh failed to get clearance from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday.
Both bowlers are under the scanner for suspect action. "It's a big loss for us. We haven't got the message from the BCCI, whether they can be in the team of not," chief coach Vijay Patel said. He, however, remained optimistic, saying, "This will allow the new boys to show their talent."
Last season, Parmar and Singh were instrumental in taking Gujarat to the quarterfinals. In their absence, the bowling attack will be led by seamers Siddharth Trivedi and Ashraf Makda. Old horse Hitesh Majmudar has been called back to add experience to the line-up, while the spin department will be handled by Timil Patel, Jayesh Makla and Salil Yadav. The 15-member Gujarat squad was announced on Monday, a day before the four-day encounter at the Sardar Patel Stadium, Navrangpura.
The absence of the two strike bowlers has left the bowling looking a bit weaker than last year, leaving the batting order the task of compensating for their loss. "Yes, there will be extra pressure on us. But that is the way it is," admitted captain Parthiv Patel.
After a few experiments in pre-season tournaments, the selection committee zeroed in on Jay Desai as Hem Joshipura's opening partner. The middle order will have Niraj Patel, Parthiv, the in-form Bhavik Thakar and Digant Popat. Two all-rounders, Rujul Bhatt and Vimal Tandel, have also found place in the squad. The final 11, however, will be decided only on Tuesday.
