Sanjay Bangar - worthy of a break

By Vijay Lokapally

JAIPUR, NOV. 25. The success of Sanjay Bangar at Hyderabad augurs well for Indian cricket. The search for a quality all-rounder may not end with this humble cricketer, but recognition of his toil would send the right signals to those wanting to earn a break into the big league.

His modest moorings have taught Bangar to fight for space in life. Every inch a professional cricketer, he has been an integral part of Railways' rise in the last few years and deserves a chance for the sheer hard work that characterises his game. Here is a challenger to Reetender Singh Sodhi, a bits and pieces cricketer from Punjab. Bangar is more than that.

A product of Mumbai cricket, Bangar has had very strong grooming in the basics of the game and can match some of those who have won the national colours in the past season. He is a neat and compact batsman with an incisive bowling arm and some brilliant fielding to present his case strongly. Bred on the dusty grounds of Central Zone, he has learnt the art of picking wickets the hard way.

The five-wicket haul for Bangar against the Englishmen might just be the beginning that Bangar had been praying for. He has added a yard to his pace this season under the guidance of coach Vinod Sharma and has worked hard on strengthening his batting.

Bangar's temperament too is ideally suited for the job as he believes in being in the thick of action with either the bat or the ball. It is such cricketers that the team management needs to give shape to its campaigns ahead - at home against England and Zimbabwe and on overseas assignments in the West Indies and England next year.

``A gutsy performer'' one of the selectors had remarked last season when Bangar guided the Railways side past tough opponents. The selectors have since marked this cricketer and the five- wicket haul at Hyderabad must have delighted those looking for a reliable performer. Indian cricket would be better off with a couple of more cricketers like Bangar. Till the time they are discovered, Bangar emerges a candidate worthy of a break. The chance might well come his way this winter.

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