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Former India cricketer Arun Lal has stepped down as the head coach of Bengal after three seasons citing coaching at the state level as a tough job due to his growing age. Lal further claimed that he is hanging up his boots before being 'kicked out' and expressed confidence in the Bengal team stating that boys are on right track.
While the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal, Avishek Dalmiya is currently in the United Kingdom, the 66-year-old former Indian cricketer visited Eden Gardens on Tuesday and handed over the resignation to the secretary Snehasish Ganguly. Although CAB is yet to release an official statement but reports have suggested that the state body has accepted Lal's resignation.
While speaking to reporters after submitting his resignation, Lal informed that coaching a state team is a tough job and said that he is "ageing." "Its nine months of cricket in a year and I am fatigued. Nine months, 24×7, and almost seven months on the road. I am ageing and just informed the state board that I cannot continue," Arun Lal said.
Adding further, Arun Lal said that he would miss being involved with the team, but he needs to give himself time. Speaking about the Indian domestic circuit, Arun Lal said he feels Bengal are heading in the right direction as players are talented and playing with the right mindset. He reckons that the competition has become tougher as he has highlighted that the finalists of this season did not even make it to the semifinalist last season.
According to sources, CAB is already on the lookout for a new coach with Chandrakant Pandit, who guided Madhya Pradesh to their first ever Ranji Trophy title this season and Laxmi Ratan Shukla on their radar. Speaking of Arun Lal, former Indian cricketer-turned commentator was appointed as CAB's head coach ahead of the 2018-19 season. The 69-year-old guided Bengal to their Ranji Trophy final, in 2020 after 13 years.