Plenty talent in India : Greg Chappel

Chennai, Mar 10 (UNI) Former Australian legend and controversial team India coach Greg Chappel today said talent has to be nurtured with the right development programme at an early stage and only this would help curb injuries at a later stage of a cricketer's career.

Talking to reporters Chappel, however, turned down questions about team India and the controversial tour of Australia especially during the tri series.

However, he complimented the team for winning the series against heavy odds and said ''the young players in the team had performed very well.'' Chappell, who was on a day's visit to Chennai to identify talent to be moulded at the Rajasthan Cricket Academy, where he has taken up a new assignment following his controversial exit as team India, speaking after assessing a bunch of raw talents in Chennai and picking a few saidIt all comes boils down to a good development programme.'' Chappel said the amount of raw cricketing talent in Chennai was amazing.

''Cricket now is very demanding. If we prepare the raw talents with the right programmes, they will be able to carry out the work load especially the fast bowlers'', Chappel said.

The Australian legend was in the city to spot the talent for Reebok Cricket Star Twenty-20 programme for the Rajasthan Academy.

The talent hunt will be conducted in seven cities. Twenty-four boys will be shortlisted. The selected pool of about 20 to 26 boys wold undergo a camp in Jaipur at the Academy. The programme will be devised by physical trainer Ian Fraser.

Chappell said the country has abundant talent. But the former Aussie player again emphasised the need to change the ideas accepted in the past.

Chappell also refused to comment on the Indian Premier League (IPL) conducted by the BCCI and the Indian Cricket League(ICL) devised by ESSEL group of one of India's business barons Subhash Chandra.

UNI VV DS AB ND1915