Arun Lal quashes rumours of a fight with the CAB

Former Indian cricketer Arun Lal recently took the Indian domestic cricket fraternity by storm. The 66-year-old grabbed all the headlines by announcing his decision to step down as Bengal's domestic head coach.

The decision shocked many as, under Lal's guidance, Bengal qualified for the Ranji Trophy semi-finals in 2022. However, there were speculations regarding bad blood between the head coach and the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).

Just a few days back, ace Indian wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha also parted ways with the Bengal domestic cricket team after obtaining a No Objection Certificate. The Indian veteran had accused the CAB of mistreating him. 

Rumours suggested a similar situation with Lal as well. 

However, the former head coach has finally cleared the air. In an interview, Lal stated that he has no issues with the CAB. However, reflecting on the reason behind his resignation, the former Indian all-rounder added that he is physically incapable of handling the demands of the job. 

"There is no controversy on this. I just said to CAB that I don't want to continue as a Bengal Coach. It's a 24 X 7 job. Coaching a state team is a tough job and I'm ageing. It's nine months of cricket in a year and I'm fatigued. I am ageing and just told them that I cannot continue.

"We need to travel the whole day. Coaching a cricket team is a difficult job. I think I am ageing. That is why I am giving up," Arun Lal said as quoted by Sportskeeda.

Arun Lal backs Bengal to do well in the future tournaments

Further, the 66-year-old also backed Bengal to do well in the upcoming domestic tournaments. The veteran has shown immense faith in the team and the players. 

Notably, Lal handed his resignation to secretary Snehasish Ganguly on Tuesday at the Eden Gardens as the president Avishek Dalmiya is in the United Kingdom currently.

"I have taken this decision happily. There is no question of dissatisfaction. I am just ageing. The Bengal team has taken the shape. The boys are really good."

Following Lal's sudden resignation, CAB has started its hunt for a new coach. Reports suggest that the authorities are looking to hire Chandrakant Pandit as the new coach. 

Pandit is a prominent name in the domestic circuit as he guided Madhya Pradesh to their first-ever Ranji title this year. Meanwhile, Laxmi Ratan Shukla is also in the race for the head coach role.