Scope Step query

[itsavvy.ankur]

I am stumped with a query recently around using 'step' scoped beans. While I understand that the scope 'step' is necessary in a 'late-binding' use case, I am not able to digest how is the use when trying to inject 'step' scoped beans to other beans. I will try to elaborate more :
1. I have a sample configuration as below :

<bean id="blRequestFileItemReader" class="com.XXXX.reader.RequestFileItemReader" scope="step">
<property name="flatFileItemReader" ref="blflatFileItemReader"/>
<property name="customStaxEventItemReader" ref="blStaxEventItemReader"/>
<property name="csvFileItemReader" ref="blCSVFileReader"/>
<property name="batchId" value="#{jobParameters['batchId']}"/>
<property name="batchLocateDAO" ref="blDAO"/>
<property name="requestFileFormat" value="#{jobParameters['requestFileFormat']}"/>
<property name="dataSource" ref="dataSource" />
</bean>

Now I would like the various readers being injected in my Custom reader to also be of scope step. But when doing such a configuration I receive an exception as below :
Cannot convert value of type [$Proxy13 ...... ]to required type [com.XXXX.reader.BLRequestItemReader]: no matching editors or conversion strategy found.

Can you please provide assistance or what I might be doing wrong ?
Thanks

[visualjeff]

What does the bean definitions look like for the following: blflatFileItemReader, blStaxEventItemReader, blCSVFileReader

Do their bean definitions also implement the attribute scope="step"?

Jeff