Cricket Board's consultant and former Australian opener Geoff Marsh today said the quality of the three Test wickets that produced a fantastic series between India and Australia, should be extended to all the wickets in the country if India were to excel in world cricket.

"All the three wickets on which the Test matches were played during the recent Australian series were excellent. But every wicket in the country needs to be of a very high standard. It is also important that the trainees, selected for various zonal cricket academies for a two-month training stint, are provided with good wickets if good results are to be achieved," Marsh told PTI.

He however, ruled out use of artificial wickets as is being done in New Zealand and said, "cricket should be played on turf wickets. Wickets here are affected by the dry weather but that can be set right".

Marsh, on a whistle-stop visit to New Delhi, examined the pitch and interacted with the 20 trainees of the North Zone Cricket Academy undergoing practice at the Ferozeshah Kotla grounds.

"The best 120 kids are undergoing training at academies all over the country - the results can only be good, to say the least. This is going to do a lot for Indian cricket," Marsh said.

Marsh, who has been assigned the task of compiling a report on the general cricket scenario in the country including domestic competitions, wickets and umpiring, said he would submit the report to Board President A C Muthiah by mid-June.

Declining to divulge the details of his assessment made so far, Marsh said, "The report underlines the areas which need improvement. I have mentioned that there is lot of talent in the country which needs to be channelised properly. We should make sure that there is a proper structure which can encourage scouting and honing of talent".

Marsh said the boys were extremely fortunate to undergo training under former cricketers of great repute. "India is lucky to have former cricketers who have immense experience and knowledge of the game. The boys are really lucky to have this opportunity to interact with the best cricketers at the age of 16 or 17".

He said the boys must appreciate this and make full use of it. "They are already enjoying their training stint. They are very enthusiastic and I did not see them complain about anything," Marsh, who has made four trips to the country since signing the contract in November last year, said.

Marsh was prolific in his praise of the recent Australia- India series saying, "It was fantastic for cricket not only in India but also the world. It saw a very high standard of cricket and I think every player, fan and spectatator must be proud of what India accomplished during the series".

© PTI