The double Olympian (Montreal '76 & Moscow '80), speaking to The Indian Express about long-term preparations for the 2001 World Cup, said his first priority would be to select 35-40 probables from the ongoing junior Nationals here. The number will later be pruned to 18.

``I had prepared a project for the last junior World Cup. I will be chalking out one this time too,'' said Baskaran who had a stint as the senior team's coach.

He said his primary aim was to strengthen the midfield. ``Midfield is the backbone of any team, especially in modern hockey. Similarly, deep defence is another grey area. If scoring has to improve, there should be a cohesion between the defence and the midfielders.''

Asked about the poor rate of penalty cornerconversions, Baskaran said: ``It needs talent to be a penalty corner expert. All are not cut out for that job. Mohinder Pal Singh and Rajinder Singh (now coach of Delhi junior team) had that talent in them.''

He also stated that match temperament and mental strength of junior players will be put to test by organising exposure trips abroad. ``Practising at home and playing foreign sides abroad are, respectively, like school tests and government exams,'' he said.

It may be recalled India had played practice games in Harare, Germany and Poland before heading for Milton Keynes in 1997. ``Similarly, the new junior squad will embark on a tour of Poland and The Netherlands in August this year,'' said Baskaran whose fortunes with the Indian team were at their peak in 1995.

Coached by him, India won the four-nation tournament in Chandigarh (beating Argentina in final), six-nation Sultan Azlan Shah tourney in Kuala Lumpur (beating Germany in final) and Test series against Malaysia.