Strong midfield the key 8212; Baskaran

8220;I had prepared a project for the last junior World Cup. I will be chalking out one this time too,8221; said Baskaran who had a stint as the senior team8217;s coach.

He said his primary aim was to strengthen the midfield. 8220;Midfield is the backbone of any team, especially in modern hockey. Similarly, deep defence is another grey area. If scoring has to improve, there should be a cohesion between the defence and the midfielders.8221;

Asked about the poor rate of penalty cornerconversions, Baskaran said: 8220;It needs talent to be a penalty corner expert. All are not cut out for that job. Mohinder Pal Singh and Rajinder Singh now coach of Delhi junior team had that talent in them.8221;

He also stated that match temperament and mental strength of junior players will be put to test by organising exposure trips abroad. 8220;Practising at home and playing foreign sides abroad are, respectively, like school tests and government exams,8221; he said.

It may be recalled India had played practice games in Harare, Germany and Poland before heading for Milton Keynes in 1997. 8220;Similarly, the new junior squad will embark on a tour of Poland and The Netherlands in August this year,8221; said Baskaran whose fortunes with the Indian team were at their peak in 1995.

Coached by him, India won the four-nation tournament in Chandigarh beating Argentina in final, six-nation Sultan Azlan Shah tourney in Kuala Lumpur beating Germany in final and Test series against Malaysia.