nzfan
International Vice-Captain
Good point. I remember the last under 19 team between 2016 and 2018 didn't play a single series between world cup. That was in a cricinfo article. At least this bunch has had 11 games between the world cup and one overseas tour.Yes I give a lot of thanks to Ollie White for getting NZ U19 back out on tour in a big way again. Sure, his Youth ODI average sits at 23.46 after 16 games, but where would they be without him.
Didn't like this one. Pietersen was merely clearing ECB hurdles rather than ICC ones from 2000-2004, so not the best test of the ICC regs. Kieswetter has a Scottish mother, so another one that's not the best test of the regs.
Anyway, team is not out yet. Starts Thursday. I think sufficient waves were made for them to be making the enquiries they probably should've been making in the week after his 327*. If not last season's white ball finals, which were dominated by NZ qualifying players.
When are they going to announce the NZ A red ball team?
As much as I'm a fan of Ravindra and no doubt he's either performing with the bat or otherwise ball, best to give him break from NZ A. Hope we don't break him before he makes progress. Nothing wrong in getting him to play for Firebirds some ford trophy games. He's probably bowling more than any spinner in the country at the moment and many times at the death. Besides he also bats at the top and often it can go either way. Batting is a tough ask and lot has to go right all time time to be consistently scoring big runs. Fit in someone like Bhula or Finn Allen or Nathan Smith in his place while there is still a chance.
The India A side has many of Ravindra, Nathan Smith contemporaries playing. I remember Porel, Khaleel, Ishan Kishan from the 2016 batch and Rahul Chahar, Shubman Gill and Prithvi Shaw from the 2018 U19 side.
That's 6 players they are rotating and we have just one from the last 2 editions playing for us. If they are desperate to keep Ravindra in the side, might as well have one or two more from the last couple of batches of 19s.
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