Under-19 champs hard to pick with six of 16 teams contenders for final
If you're wondering who might be favourites to take out the under-19 World Cup title at the end of this month, look no further than the history of the event.
This is the eighth edition of the cup, dating back to 1988 - after a 10-year gap it has been a biennial tournament on the cricket calendar. Of the previous seven, Australia, India and Pakistan have won twice each, with England, captained by Wellington import Owais Shah, breaking the pattern in 1998, beating New Zealand in the final in Johannesburg.
(Incidentally, New Zealand's team included brothers James and Hamish Marshall, Lou Vincent, Peter McGlashan, James Franklin and Kyle Mills, all to become test, ODI or Twenty20 internationals).
There are indications this could be an open contest before the January 30 final in Christchurch, with New Zealand's coach, the former international allrounder Chris Kuggeleijn, tipping at least six of the 16 nations have a realistic chance of making the final.
The cup comprises the 10 test and ODI-playing nations and six qualifiers, who were found out of a qualifying tournament in Toronto last September. The outcome of that provides the real colour in the tournament, with Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, Ireland, Canada and the United States.
First there's group play, with the teams split between Christchurch, Queenstown and Palmerston North. The West Indies, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea have been dispatched to Palmerston North for group D play; by contrast, Australia, Ireland, South Africa and the United States in group B have the delights of Queenstown to savour.
Afghanistan, England, Hong Kong and India in group A, and group C rivals New Zealand, Canada, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, are based either in Christchurch or at nearby Lincoln.
To no surprise defending champions India and Australia will be among the title contenders, Pakistan perhaps less so this time. But during a series of warmup fixtures, Bangladesh have caught the eye of judges. They are well organised, enthusiastic and committed to their work. Sri Lanka also have had favourable early reports.
And New Zealand? They have three survivors from the 1998 tournament, allrounders Corey Anderson of Canterbury and Wellington's Harry Boam, and wicketkeeper/batsman Michael Bracewell, of the celebrated cricket family, and whose cousin, fast-medium Doug Bracewell, is also in the squad.
They lost a warmup series 2-1 to Pakistan and got a touch up from Bangladesh before convincingly beating England by five wickets.
The most recent graduate to the senior New Zealand side is new-ball bowler Tim Southee. He was bowler of the tournament in 1998 with an excellent 17 wickets at just 6.64 apiece.
So playing "spot the future test star" will be among the more interesting sidelines to the fortnight. Play starts with four games today while New Zealand kick off against Canada tomorrow, play Zimbabwe on Tuesday and Sri Lanka the following day.
Future stars
Mayank Agarwal India, 18
Mark Bangalore-born Agarwal down as one of India's brightest batting prospects.
The aggressive Agarwal crunched 160 in 142 balls off Australia in a one-day under-19 match last year and expect the scoring rate to be relentless when he's at the crease.
After all, he's modelled himself on the most destructive opener in the modern game, Virendar Sehwag. He clubbed 432 runs, at an average of 54, in the Indian under-19 competition last season.
And he's hit the ground running since arriving in New Zealand, with an 82-ball century against the United States and a rapid 45 against Sri Lanka in warmup games in Christchurch this week.
Mitchell Marsh Australia, 18
When your father was a highly successful test and ODI opener for his country, and your older brother is a former ODI player too, expectations tend to be high. So it is for Australian skipper Mitchell Marsh, son of Geoff, brother of Shaun.
Marsh, who at 17 was the youngest player in history in Australia's domestic one-day competition in the 2008-09 season, has made a bright start to his first-class career this summer, averaging 45.25 after three matches for Western Australia.
In his first innings, he made an unbeaten 59 while WA collapsed for 131 against New South Wales.
The powerful righthander hit a century against India in a losing under-19 international cause last year. He bowls lively medium pace. Australia's last three under-19 World Cup skippers - Cameron White, Tim Payne and Moises Henriques - have all played for their country. No pressure, then.
Corey Anderson New Zealand, 19
New Zealand have two survivors from the 2008 campaign in this squad, Anderson and Wellington's Harry Boam. Allrounder Anderson was the youngest first-class debutant for 59 years when he played his first match for Canterbury at 16 years 89 days in 2006-07.
He's played 15 first-class games for Canterbury, averaging 28.9 as a hard-hitting lefthand batsman and with 13 wickets with his medium pace, although his bowling has been hampered by injury.
He topped New Zealand's batting averages in Malaysia two years ago with 40.5 and will be a crucial figure if New Zealand are to be in with a winning chance.
Azeem Rafiq England, 18
England's captain is an offspinning allrounder who was born in Karachi but moved to England in 2001.
He has played for England at under-15 and under-17 age-group levels and made his first-class debut for Yorkshire against Sussex last June, taking five wickets.
In his next game, Rafiq whacked his maiden century off 92 balls against Worcestershire to demonstrate the other side of his talents.
Dale Deeb South Africa, 19
Highly promising allrounder whose first-class career is already well under way.
The slow left-arm spinner and middle-lower order batsman, born in Johannesburg, plays for Gauteng, having debuted in January 2008.
Deeb has taken 24 wickets at 27.95 in nine first-class games.
