The establishment of the zonal cricket academies has been a step in the right direction for nurturing young talents in the country, feels national selector Ashok Malhotra. The move would help in spotting more talented cricketers, the former Test player said during an informal chat with newsmen in Bhubaneshwar on Sunday.

Malhotra felt that the country needed bouncy wickets and said the pitch committee set up by the BCCI was looking into the matter.

Malhotra, who was in the city as chief guest at the concluding function of the Telegraph Schools Chess Tournament, said he was satisfied over the composition of the Indian team, now in Zimbabwe.

Asked about the players who could figure in the one-day squad to be picked on June 13 next, he said it would be too early to speculate because the team was to play another Test at Harare.

He, however, indicated that Delhi's Vivek Sehwag, who created a fine impression in the first one-dayer against Australia before being sidelined with an injury, and Punjab all-rounder Reetinder Singh Sodhi were in the race. Bengal wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta was also under watch, he said.

Replying to a question whether the Indian team was capable of winning the World Cup in 2003, Malhotra said that's a long way off. "It is for the team management to shape the team for the future."

Malhotra said the present Ranji teams of Punjab and Orissa were the two best young sides in the country. They needed to sustain this level of performance, he added. The success of the Orissa team which qualified for the semifinals of the Ranji Trophy for the first time this season was a very good sign for Indian cricket, the national selector said.

Praising Orissa's Shiv Sundar Das, Malhotra said the diminutive opener from Bhubaneshwar had cemented his place in the Test team. Former cricketers and commentators including Sunil Gavaskar are satisfied with his performance, he said.

Speaking about medium pacer Debasish Mohanty who could not make it to the playing eleven in the first Test at Bulawayo, Malhotra said "Our job is to select the players, but it is for the team management to decide whom to play."

On upcoming Orissa middle-order bat Rashmi Ranjan Parida who amassed over 800 runs this season and was instrumental in taking the state to the semifinals for the first time, Malhotra said Parida and teammate Pravanjan Mullick were talented and were doing very well. "We are very pleased with their batting."

Questioned as to whether Parida had a chance of breaking into the national squad, Malhotra said "Don't worry. A good performance never goes wasted."

© PTI