John leads Kolkata's Knight-hunt

MUMBAI: The Goregaon Sports Complex in Malad wore a rather busy look on Tuesday. While regular members of the swanky club went about their business as usual, over 100 players - aged 15 to 22 - looked pretty pensive. They formed small clusters even as others dripped in with their 5-foot long training kits.
The decision of IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to launch a talent hunt in the city did raise a few eyebrows last week.
However, former Australia coach John Buchanan, who is now in charge of the Shah Rukh Khan-owned outfit, was a man on a mission on Tuesday.
"We are looking at the long-term picture," the lanky Aussie said after his first 'net' session with the 100-odd boys.
"The idea is to have a large pool of players. We are here to select a few talented ones who will be trained and groomed at a two-week camp in Queensland," added Buchanan, who personally monitored the fielding, bowling and batting drills for over two hours. The two-time World Cup-winning coach said the franchise is "looking to create a pathway".
Team director Joy Bhattacharya told TOI: "The exact number is not finalised. However, the camp will take place from September 20 to October 4 in Australia."
Added Buchanan: "We have a two-point agenda. One is to ensure talented kids have a good and quick way to high-level cricket and second, to reach out to the community."
How many kids would make the cut? "Maybe 20, maybe zero," came the stunning reply in a jiffy.
"We are not here to just randomly pick up kids. We are looking for talent. If we find talented players across the country (Mumbai: August 26-27; New Delhi: August 30-31; Kolkata: September 4-5), we would organise a camp in Australia, groom them and then focus on our long-term plans," he said.
Why such a large pool when the franchise sent back talented players like Cheteshwar Pujara and India discard Ranadeb Bose among others midway through the IPL? Will they be overlooked? "Certainly not. They would still be preferred ahead of this pool of kids," the Aussie said.
When asked about the ambidexterity factor, he said: "At the moment, we are simply looking for talent. We are not looking at ambidexterous players as such. If required, we can mould them as and when the need arises."
And as expected, the M-factor cropped up. Overlooked by Sourav Ganguly and even Buchanan in the IPL, Ajantha Mendis played just one match for the Kolkata outfit.
"Ah, like most batsmen, even I am clueless about him," the Aussie smiled.
"He reminds me of John Gleeson, who was a mystery spinner himself. Mendis, however, releases the ball much quicker and is much taller and stronger."
So, he will be taken seriously this time? "Of course. He is going to be an asset," Buchanan said. "He should prove himself over a longer period of time. Consistency is the key."