U19 World Cup review: Extraordinary fielding shows cricket is in safe hands

Joy Chakravarty 09:41 04/03/2014
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  • On a high: South Africa were deserving champions as they dished out a spirited display in the tournament.

    For those who are always on the lookout to unearth future stars, or get a feeling which way cricket is headed in the next few years, the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, which was held in the UAE, was the perfect crystal ball.

    Hailed as the ‘finishing school’ for junior cricketers, the U19 World Cup is the stepping stone where boys become men. Some may argue that the pressure is not as intense as it is when the senior national teams are playing, but it is almost the opposite.

    Unlike established players in the senior teams, who know they will probably get another chance in case of a single failure, each of the U19 squad members knew what a good performance here would do for their careers.

    Obviously, there will be more opportunities for them, but to do well here means you get noticed straightaway.

    That’s what happened to the careers of many former U19 players like Chris Gayle, Alastair Cook, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and several others as they graduated with flying colours in past tournaments.

    So, what did we learn about players and general trends?

    The most notable aspect was the quality of fielding of most sides. The catching was stunning, but the ground fielding was far better than that of most Test-playing nations.

    Most impressive among the 16 teams in view were India, Australia, England and South Africa.

    India, in particular, were outstanding. And you just need to attend one training session to find out why. They spent almost one-third of their nets time fielding.

    There were team drills, and the fielding coach then takes on a couple of players for intense one-on-one sessions. Each player is specifically asked to appreciate the efforts of his teammate. 

    “The most important thing is that you enjoy fielding, which every member of our side does. And we have tried to inculcate the habit of applauding others in the team," revealed Indian coach Bharat Arun.

    "Every time you will see someone doing a good job on the field, you will find several players shouting encouragement and even walking up to them and patting them. It keeps them charged up throughout the match. There’s no let-up in the intensity,”

    Leading on from fielding, comes the second part – their running between the wickets. These players were just awesome in rotating the strike, and they rarely let go an opportunity of stealing a single.

    Looking at some of the teams, it was also apparent that the U19 players have the same characteristics as their seniors.

    The subcontinent giants – India and Pakistan – continue to struggle against pace bowling. With South Africa, the eventual champions, it was a complete team performance. And Afghanistan are a dangerous side even in this age category.

    The young Proteas once again proved that in a team sport, you really don’t need individual brilliance. None of their squad members had firstclass experience, and yet they combined superbly as a unit.

    Obviously, captain Aiden Markram and pacer Kagiso Rabada stood out, but there were invaluable contributions from Yaseen Valli, Justin Dill, Clyde Fortuin and Corbin Bosch.

    On the individual front, there were many who are ready to knock on the door of the senior side, at least in the shortened formats of the game.

    South African fast bowler Rabada was most impressive with his consistent pace and variety. India’s Sarfaraz Khan has all the makings of a feisty all-rounder. Pakistan openers Sami Aslam and Imam-ul Haq will surely be the batting pair to watch in the future, and England’s Ben Duckett is all set to wow the world with his innovative stroke-making. Sri Lanka will be licking their chops at the prospect of batsman Sadeera Samarawickrama making it to the main team.

    The event also served an important purpose of providing the associate and affiliate members with a gauge to measure where they stand against the full members. It was a fantastic exposure for these teams like the UAE and Scotland, who are making good progress overall.

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