Debasis, Basant picked for cricketer award

International swing bowler Debasis Mohanty and his Orissa Ranji teammate Basant Mohanty were today selected to receive the Maruti Estate Saheed Sporting Cricketer of the Year Award for the year 2007-08 and 2008-09 respectively. Former India Test player Debasis, who bagged 30 wickets in six Ranji matches in the 2007-08 season, would be receiving the award for the fifth time. On the other hand, this will be first such award for Orissa’s new pace spearhead Basant, who claimed 28 wickets in seven Ranji outings in 2008-09. The annual award, carrying a cash incentive of Rs 10,000, will be presented at a function here on April 26. Past recepients of the award, which was instituted in the year 1992-93 by city-based Saheed Sporting Club, include Ranjib Biswal, Shiv Sundar Das, Rashmi Ranjan Parida, P Jayachandra, Pravanjan Mullick, Sanjay Satpathy, Prashant Mohapatra, BBCC Mohapatra and Deepak Mangaraj.