Yuvraj, Sodhi, Kaif emerge as strong candidates for senior side

Krishnamachari Srikkanth, who was the coach of the Indian junior side for two years before Roger Binny took over, was savouring the team’s victory in his home Chennai home when The Indian Express contacted him.

“I am really happy the side has made the nation proud by winning the World Cup. More than anything else, it’s a unit which look very committed. The team has a lot of talent with Mohammed Kaif looking ready for a Test cap and Reetinder Singh Sodhi for One-Day International honours.”

The former India skipper felt though Yuvraj Singh man of the Youth World Cup looks good, he would personally like to see him tested againstgenuine quicks.

Srikkanth said players like Shalabh Srivastava, Mritunjay Tripathi, Swapnil Hazare and Ritwik Mazumdar also hold promise for the future.

Dilip Sardesai, a former India batsman and now a Mumbai selector, had no doubts that Yuvraj Singh is ready to play at the highest level of the game. “He impressed me as a natural strokemaker and looks ideal for the one-day game where India desperately need all-rounders. The other boy who impressed me is Reetinder Singh Sodhi,” added Sardesai.

The hero of India’s historic 1971 series win in West Indies said there is plenty of talent in the India under-19 team, but it’s Yuvraj and Sodhi who look ready to play for the senior side, which is “carrying far too many passengers”.

Polly Umrigar, a former India captain and a man deeply respected for his insight into the game, said: “The approach of the Indian under-19 side was a lot different than what is going on in Australia. There is plenty of potential in this side which needs to be watched andgroomed. A couple of the boys look ready for higher honours, but I would prefer they are blooded at home. I can’t quite recollect the names, but I was quite impressed with the left-arm spinner (Anup Dave) and the batsman who got a hundred (Ravneet Ricky) in the match against Australia. On the whole, the Indians looked much superior than the rest of the sides in Sri Lanka.”

Another knowledgable cricketer to be impressed by the youthful talent was Mohinder Amarnath. “I was out of the country for sometime and missed much of the matches, but from what little I saw, I was quite impressed with the talent available. Mohammed Kaif looks a player blessed with temperament and technique. I was also quite impressed with Sodhi and Yuvraj Singh.”

Amarnath said the important thing now is that these talented boys must get the breaks when they are on a high. Even if they are not played they must be picked to get a feel of international cricket.

The note of moderation was struck by Sanjay Manjrekar, who felt thatcoach Roger Binny has a key role to play in deciding the fortunes of the youngsters.

“The (senior) National selectors would do well to get his view point to assess if these boys have it in them to be pushed into Tests and One-Day Internationals right away. And if Roger feels so, then his judgement should be respected,” Manjrekar said.

He said historically India have a tendency to put heads on the block after failures on overseas tours. “The impulse to do so would be all the more now that the juniors have done so well while the seniors have failed so miserably.”

“But then, we should not panic. The nucleus of the senior side should be retained. Youngsters who have done well should be tested for a season or two at the domestic level, unless there is some exceptional talent especially among the bowlers. Of course, Roger (as the Indian team coach) should have the big say,” he added.