Sanjit's action under cloud

The 43-run victory against defending champions South Africa in the opening match set the tone for the hosts in the ICC Under-19 World Cup, but the Bangladesh Under-19 team reached Cox's Bazar yesterday morning with bad news ahead of their two remaining group matches against Scotland and Namibia in the tourist town. Off-spinner Sanjit Saha, who is considered the best bowler in the team, has been reported for a suspect bowling action during the opening match at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on Wednesday.

According to coach Mizanur Rahman the disclosure did not come as a bolt from the blue as the team management had always harboured fears that his action may come under the scanner.

“His (Sanjit Saha's) action is not like a traditional off-spinner's and because of that it's very difficult for the batsmen to pick him. We were not surprised or shocked and Sanjit is also okay because we knew that this kind of thing could happen because of his style of bowling. But we are very confident about the legality of his deliveries. We will get the report from ICC's expert panel before our next match against Scotland on January 31,” said Mizanur while he was talking to the reporters at the Sheikh Kamal International Stadium yesterday.

“We are hopeful that his action will not exceed the 15-degree limit in the lab because our opinion is that it may be confusing to the naked eye. If we change his action he will be an ordinary bowler so we should manage him properly. He is an asset and I can assure you that he will go far, especially as he has got the ability to become a dangerous bowler in longer-version cricket,” he continued.

At one stage Mizanur got emotional when he said : “He is very passionate about the game as he sacrificed his academic career. He is a brilliant student but only to make a career in cricket he has decided to keep away from studies and that's why he was not admitted to one of the country's best institutions.  He is so brilliant that he can calculate difficult run-rates or other equations within a few seconds without the help of a calculator.”