Cricketer-turned-curator Daljit Singh has been appointed coach of the Punjab cricket team for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season.

Daljit, who was in charge of preparing the PCA stadium pitch for the Champions Trophy, will replace former Pakistani skipper Intikhab Alam who coached the team for the last two years.

"I am still preparing for it. As you know, till a few days back I was involved with the Champions Trophy matches, but let us see how things work out. The good thing is that first three games are in Mohali, which should be good for us," Daljit said on Monday.

Aware that Punjab's performance has not been really up to the mark in the last session, the new coach says he would like his team stick to the basics.

"At this moment, I am not interested in any experimentation. I would like the boys to stick to the basics and not try to do too many things," he said.

He said that the team already was without the services of Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh, and would be further hit by the loss of Dinesh Mongia and probably VRV Singh as well should he travel to South Africa with the Indian team.

"I will ask the team to play to its strength," Daljit said.

Alam had guided the team to the final in 2004-05, the first season he was the coach, but his second year was not very successful as the team failed to qualify for the semis.