Utpal: I want to do better this season

Utpal Chatterjee's motivation is to keep getting better. The East Zone and Bengal left arm spinner said on Saturday that at the moment his only goal is to better his performance the following year. Immediately after the annual prize distribution function of the Cricket Association of Bengal, where he was honoured with the Best Cricketer of the Year award, Chatterjee said, ``I really do not care if I am not called to national duty. My aim is now to achieve more in the next year. I have taken around 60 wickets in all the first class games that I have played this season. My aim is now to get more wickets in the following season.''

The soft-spoken Chatterjee feels that it is his dedication towards the game that enables him to achieve success. However, at the same time he is sad that none of the young cricketers has been able to beat him to the honour. ``I would have been happier if someone younger than me would have won this award. The simple reason for which they have not been able to beat me is because of the lack the will to sacrifice. Even at the first class level of the game, you have to give up on a lot of things to be successful. The younger generation is not ready to do that.''

There was the usual hustle and bustle at the function. But for once the spotlight was turned away from the former ICC President Jagmohan Dalmiya. The flashlights and the television beams concentrated more on the likes of Chatterjee and the best sub junior cricketer Sourav Dutta. Amidst all this, the joint secretary of the Cricket Association of Bengal said that efforts would be made to unearth more promising cricketers. ``We have the talent. We have to find out the reason for which the talents fail to make it to the top.''

While Chatterjee was awarded the best cricketer of the year, he had another trophy to show. That was for being the highest wicket-taker for Bengal in the 1999-2000 season - a feat that he achieved for the fifth successive time. Rohan Gavaskar, the highest run-getter for Bengal, however, was not present to accept his trophy. The best under-19 cricketer of the year went to off spinner Sourashis Lahiri, who had a played a couple of Ranji Trophy matches last season.