Milne catches the eye but former great warns don't push him
RICHARDSON, Daniel. Manawatu Standard [Palmerston North, New Zealand] 10 Dec 2010:
Manawatu pace bowler Adam Milne is being talked up as the next big thing, but there's one man who says he should be left to play domestic cricket for a while yet.
Following Milne's brisk opening spells in the national Twenty20 competition, there have been whispers going around about him, including a ringing endorsement of his talent from Black Cap legend Shane Bond.
But former international Lance Cairns said despite Milne's potential, he does not want to see him fast-tracked in to the national side after a few first-class matches, as New Zealand has a shocking habit of doing.
"With Adam I just hope they hold him back and don't pick him for whatever sides for another couple of seasons," Cairns said.
"An apprenticeship has to be served . . . You must learn what the game's all about."
Cairns, who lives in Gisborne, works for New Zealand Cricket as a junior selector, focusing on fast bowling and talent identification.
Ironically, as the hype continues to grow around Milne, there's another Palmerston North 18-year-old, who has caught Cairns' attention.
"The boy that I like the most of them all is a kid called Bevan Small.
"I'm quite glad that he has been, I suppose, struggling with fitness so that's kept him out of the limelight, out of any of the teams and he can make his own way gradually.
"He's a kid that can bowl very, very quickly with minimal effort and to me those are the types of kids that are great to work with."
Small, a former New Zealand under-19 player, has returned to the field after battling finger and shoulder problems.
He had been mentioned as a possibility to play for Central Districts last summer, but missed out because of a back injury.
