Ashok Malhotra named Bengal coach

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Kolkata: Former India batsman Ashok Malhotra was today named coach of Bengal senior cricket team.
"We just finalised him as our coach for the upcoming season. He has agreed for a two-year term with us and will join the side on October 1," CAB president Jagmohan Dalmiya said after a meeting with Malhotra at his office here.
Malhotra thus replaces former India opener W V Raman who has now returned to his home side Tamil Nadu after a three-season stint with Bengal. A Level III coach, Malhotra briefly coached Team India in acting capacity when John Wright had gone to New Zealand ahead of a triangular series in Dhaka in 2003 besides coaching India 'A'.
A former national selector, Malhotra was a middle-order batsman and many had compared him with the legendary G R Viswanath. He had played seven Tests for India and in the 1980s also featured in 20 ODIs scoring 457 at an average of 30.47. He was also a member of 1985 World Series Championship-winning side in Australia.
A prolific run-getter at the domestic level, Malhotra held the record of most runs in the Ranji Trophy -- 7274 at an average of 52.54 with 18 centuries having played for Bengal and Haryana. His highest score was an unbeaten 258 for Bengal against Hyderabad in 1989-90 season.