Thursday, March 21, 2002 The Indian cricket administrators have done a good job by reviving the concept of A tours. The decision to send an India A team to South Africa later this month was commendable, but I don't quite agree with the players picked to make that trip.

Dinesh Mongia had been chosen to lead the side, but when he was drafted into the senior squad for the West Indies tour, Jacob Martin was made captain of the A team. Martin is no spring chicken, and I strongly feel Indian cricket would have been better served had the team been led by a younger man.

The captain should ideally be a player who could lead the national team someday, and Martin doesn't fit the bill here. I have been very impressed by Delhi's Mithun Manhas. Just 24, he is an outstanding prospect to don the national colours. An opportunity to lead the A team would have done his career no harm.

The choice of fast bowlers in the line-up for South Africa is questionable too. Ajit Agarkar is clearly regarded as a one-day bowler and is likely to be in the squad for the one-dayers in the West Indies. It would have made perfect sense to include him on the A tour and keep him match-fit before he tours the Caribbean. Now, Agarkar will have no match practice and could be quite rusty when called up for the one-dayers.

In fact, this logic should have been applied to all the prospective candidates for the one-day series in the West Indies. A tough tour of South Africa would have been ideal preparation. The selectors, I feel, have missed a trick here.

However, it was good to see a couple of players who've been in the Under-19 squad in the last couple of years being given opportunities. Opener Gautam Gambhir and wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel are excellent choices, and more players from this age-group need to be encouraged.

With South Africa hosting the World Cup next year, this was an ideal opportunity to get a feel of conditions there. However, thanks to the haphazard planning and some selection blunders, only two or three players from the A squad will be real contenders for the 2003 World Cup.

The resurgence of Yuvraj Singh is the only bright spot. I have always believed that the lad has talent. People have often talked about his attitude problems, but that is an area which should be addressed by the team management. You cannot doubt his class.

Some others who have made it into the national team clearly lack ability. Deep Dasgupta, for instance, falls well short of international class both as a wicketkeeper and as an opening batsman. Yet he has held on to his place, while a precocious talent like Yuvraj has been kept out.

Fortunately, the selectors have recognized Yuvraj's matchwinning ability and drafted him into the A team. It is a decision they are unlikely to regret.

Bishan Bedi, who took 266 wickets for India in 67 Tests between 1966 and 1979, was talking to S Rajesh.

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