INDORE: The focus on youth was stressed forcefully by National selector Bhupinder Singh here on Saturday. He spent the day at the Usha Raje Cricket Centre, watching the South versus East Deodhar Trophy match, not missing any moment when the speedsters were in action and making mental notes.

"We are looking for fast bowlers," Bhupinder conveyed the policy that the National selectors will pursue this season. Being a fast bowler, he well understands the value of pace when dealing with international batsmen of quality.

The benchmark being set is 135 kmph. Punjab's strapping fast bowler Vir Raj Vir Singh alone meets the grade, according to the selectors, in terms of speed. Coach Greg Chappell reportedly was impressed with VRV's aggression, his ability to get the ball to rise disconcertingly from good length. "He has a very good bouncer," Bhupinder pointed out.

The selectors have marked some bowlers who would be groomed this season. VRV, Munaf Patel, S S. Paul, S. Sreesanth are being watched with the intention of preserving their potential. "The fast bowlers have to be cared for. You can't flog them the whole season and expect them to deliver in every match," has been Kapil Dev's concern for a long time.

Kapil's view found support from Javagal Srinath, who was on many occasions unsparingly used in long spells on unresponsive pitches, and at the `nets' too.

Promising youngsters

Then there are youngsters like V. Yomahesh and R. Jesuraj with lot of promise, not to forget L. Balaji, who has the reputation of being one of the finest wicket-taking bowlers in recent times but currently recovering from an injury.

Another promising candidate is Abid Nabi from Jammu and Kashmir. Strong and athletic, he has all the qualities of a fast bowler, including the aggression that Chappell desires.

Would speed then be the sole criteria for judging new ball bowlers? If that be the case, it would mean end of the road for bowlers like Gagandeep Singh, Avishkar Salvi, Joginder Sharma, Siddharth Trivedi, who are known to exploit the conditions. Gagandeep had a point when he remarked recently that he was keen to enhance his speed but needed expert guidance to improve in this area.

Rotation policy

The selectors have planned specific roles for the fast and seam bowlers.

The rotation policy that Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad so strongly advocated during their days will be put in place to protect the fast bowlers from possible injuries that may arise due to overstress. "Selections will be condition-specific," said Bhupinder.

Bhupinder's colleague in the selection panel, Sanjay Jagdale, was all praise for the bowlers who embarrassed England at Vadodara. "They bowled exceptionally well. Munaf (Patel) was splendid," said Jagdale.

Incidentally, VRV got the nod for his spell against England essentially because he made an impression with his speed. Munaf, raw but quick, is next in line.

The message being sent out by Kiran More and company, with the strong support of Chappell, is clear — India's bowling future lies in speed. "Anyone bowling above 135 kmph is welcome," Bhupinder confessed

The selectors' search has been relentless. From four-day matches to one-day fixtures, they have been concentrating on identifying youngsters who can be developed as fast bowlers. "We want speed," reiterated Bhupinder. The idea is to keep the replacements ready for combat.

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