Wanted: wise head for young blood

GREY AREA: No previous coaching experience, temperamental trait

IDEAL OFFERING

8226; The other half of India8217;s famous fast bowling combo, Venkatesh Prasad, still harbours hopes of a recall. Having passed the Level II coaching exams with impressive scores, the 34-year-old continues to roll his arm over on the domestic tracks 8212; 19 wickets from five Ranji matches this season stand testimony to it. Appointed under-17 National coach for the Asia Cup held at Bangalore last month where the Indians finished runners-up

GREY AREA: Acceptance

SURPRISE CHOICE

8226; Champion bowler, champion athlete. Kapil Dev should be an automatic choice for the post but his forgettable stint as the national team8217;s coach four years ago casts a shadow on the former Indian captain8217;s abilities. A favourite of BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya, the former world record holder for most number of Test wickets also has his hands full with a host of endorsements to cater to.

GREY AREA: Past record

SHOWING PROMISE

8226; Paras Mhambrey, who quit after guiding Mumbai to Ranji Trophy success last year, saw his coaching stocks soar when John Wright sought him out for assistance during the Indian team8217;s pre-season conditioning camp six months ago. Currently coaching Maharashtra, the 31-year-old protege of Frank Tyson is also a Level II coach

GREY AREA: Low profile

FOREIGN HAND

Fanie de Villiers, Wasim Akram, Frank Tyson too are some big names that the Indian cricket team has found favour with. Tyson, 72, is best suited for short stints while Akram is a strict no-no in Pakistan. It leaves the South African, who was a master at his craft

DARK HORSES

Balwinder Singh Sandhu and TA Sekar are two good options that cannot escape mention