Players outside 25 also eligible for selection: Wright

Indian coach John Wright hinted in Chennai on Wednesday that players from outside the list of 25 probables for the Test series against Australia could yet be considered for selection. He was speaking to reporters after giving away the individual prizes at the final of the Pepsi Inter-City Youth Cricket Series for Under-16s at the SPIC-YMCA ground.

"I was at the meeting with the selectors along with Saurav. It was a very thorough meeting and things were discussed in depth. The selectors have made their decisions and I'm happy with that. I suppose there's always a chance in the side games for anyone who's not in the camp to press their claims, if they get that opportunity" he said.

The camp for the probables, which extends from February 6-20 at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai, is interrupted for four days by the Challenger Series from February 12-15. Being a one-day series, the Challenger may not be the most appropriate arena for assessing the suitability of candidates to the Test squad. But Wright indicated that the three-day tour opener between the Australians and India 'A' from February 17-19 - the only remaining fixture before the team for the first Test is announced - could be an opportunity for players outside the camp to impress.

Asked for his observations on the Indian domestic cricket scene, Wright, who watched the Duleep Trophy match between South Zone and West Zone at Surat in which VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid were involved in a record 409-run third wicket partnership, said "there are some very good batting wickets around". However he was quick to note that there were other games in which the bowling held sway. "Then again you got that game where South played East and although I wasn't there it looked like there was plenty in it for the bowlers. I think the test is that no matter which country you're from, there's always a gap between the first class level and the Tests. It's always a challenge for the players to bridge the gap to the next level".

Wright did not elaborate on any specific plan to counter the Aussie threat. "Those are the issues we'll be discussing in the camp, it's all about planning and preparation. We'll concentrate on doing the basics well." He was also unwilling to name any spinner whom he was looking up to shoulder the burden in Kumble's absence. "We've got seven spinners in the camp. We're looking at that department very carefully. Kumble is out, that's a fact of life and we just have to get on with it and give some opportunity to others."

Earlier in his remarks at the award ceremony, the 46-year-old former New Zealand captain told the kids that they were the future of Indian cricket and that he'd like to see them coming up the ranks in 3-4 years. Wright congratulated the victorious Mumbai team and commiserated with the losing finalists, Delhi. "You're playing a great game loved dearly all over India. You must respect the game, play it with passion and joy. You never know where it might take you if you work hard. Follow your dreams all the way through" Wright advised.