Tbf, NZ's had some dreadful U19 teams over the years. The 2006 team got bowled out for 70 by Pakistan, and 2 years later we fielded probably our strongest U19 side ever. Probably not coincidentally, it was also one of our only U19 teams to get a full youth test and Odi series (v an India side fielding Kohli, Pujara, Jadeja, Rahane and Ishant).
They usually produce at least one international and several domestic players. Ones that stand out are the 1989 side that toured England and won their 'test' series. A guy from that side told me that Cairns bowling to Ramprakash in that series was the fastest bowling he's seen live. Aside from Cairns that side produced, Chris Harris, Adam Parore, Richardson, Pocock, Matt Hart and solid domestic players like John Aitken, Lorne Howell.
I don't necessarily tend to worry about it. These guys just don't face the sort of bowling they encounter at U19 World Cups - especially relating to spin. And yeah, as someone said other nations seem to mature at an earlier age. To be fair, I think the bowling looks just as threadbare, it just doesn't get exposed as badly.
Yeah, quite a big contrast. In Southee's case he had already played in some ODI's against England before going to the 2008 under 19 WC, won player of the tournament, then made his test debut against England on his return. Anderson and Kane had played first class cricket. McMillan, Taylor, Ryder, Vincent all played 1st class cricket as teenagers although it might be harder to break into sides now.
that's a nice way of putting it
Yeah I remember this team, they toured India early that year (Dravid was India’s U19 captain) for tests and ODIs and got a fair amount of coverage. Heath Davis was another notable member of that side, was talked of as being one of the fastest in his age group. Richard Jones and Glen Sulzberger also made it to the national side. Astle wasn’t on that tour though he must have been in the World Cup.
Another off the Howick Pak production line, for everyone playing at home.
rowe was rested according to thier rest and rotation policy which seems stupid in a pretty much a must win game
It does concern me. Not so much that we lose at U19 level to the likes of India and Pakistan, but the way we've been mauled against those sides and haven't even competed as concerning.
Yeah, we basically minnows at this level. Not helped by our U6 attitude that everyone needs to get a bat and bowl, of course.
I’d say most of them will get a shot domestic level in some form. I’ve had a look at our WC squads over the last 4/5 tournaments and count 14 players who haven’t played at that level yet. Most of them have been A team regulars or Hawke Cup but a few seem to have disappeared. Nic Lidstone was captain a few years ago and I don’t recall seeing anything about him since. Think he also played hockey so maybe went that route
The older I get the more I think this is actually the correct approach. Age group cricket is essentially just a competition to see who hit puberty first otherwise. You want to give guys a go and try to separate their innate talents from age based physical advantage which can be caught up on.
Yeah I basically think it’s this, whether or not it’s literally true. It literally looked that way when I watched the game against Afghanistan - our guys seem like little dweebs and there wasn’t a guy in the Afghanistan team who didn’t look like a grown man. Getting into why that is feels like dicey territory, but suffice to say I think the evidence is that our cricketers tend to develop later and I guess that’s ok.
