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Former West Indies fast-bowler Ian Bishop has praised the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) for its contracts for fast bowlers. The BCCI recently announced annual retainership contracts for the senior men's team for the 2023/24 season, with special provisions for selected pacers.
Bishop lauds special central contract for pacers
He admired this innovative move on the social media platform 'X' and highlighted his excitement about seeing Umran Malik's name on the list. Akash Deep, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal, and Vidwath Kaverappa are the players who will receive contracts for pacers.
Bishop happy to see Umran Malik's name on the list
"Very innovative move by India to give out fast-bowling contracts. I am a big fan of that, especially to see Umran Malik's name in that list. Any team that wants to be globally competitive must procure and develop quality fast-bowlers," said Bishop.
Malik debuted for India in a T20I against Ireland in Dublin in June 2022. Since then, he has participated in 10 one-day internationals, claiming 13 wickets, and featured in eight T20Is, securing 11 wickets for the team.
He represents SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he has amassed 29 wickets in 25 matches spread across three seasons. In 2022, he had a breakout season with 22 wickets in 14 matches. However, his form dipped in 2023, as he managed only five wickets in eight matches.
On the other hand, Akash Deep made a favourable impression after his Test debut in Ranchi, where he secured three wickets in the first innings, aiding India in securing an unassailable 3-1 lead in the Test series against England.
Full list of BCCI contracts for 2023-24
Grade A+ (4 Athletes)
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja.
Grade A (6 Athletes)
R Ashwin, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya.
Grade B (5 Athletes)
Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Grade C (15 Athletes)
Rinku Singh, Tilak Verma, Ruturaj Gaekwad, Shardul Thakur, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Jitesh Sharma, Washington Sundar, Mukesh Kumar, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, KS Bharat, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan and Rajat Patidar.
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The specialised contracts for pacers reflect the BCCI's commitment to nurturing and supporting India's existing pool of fast bowlers, particularly in preparation for the 2024 T20 World Cup and the subsequent tour of Australia.
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