What is it about teenage prodigies? What is it that makes the common man a condescending wiseacre? "Oh, you mark my words, this kid will be the next Bradman," they claim, conjuring wild speculations out of thin air. Every wispily-clad youth at the U-19 World Cup carries a weight of expectation that isn't suited for their underdeveloped spines; expected to exhibit a level of indifference to which they aren't accustomed.
ICC UNDER 19 WORLD CUP, 2020
Dewy-eyed teenagers in the quest for glory
George Balderson of England, Priyam Garg of India, Bryce Parsons of South Africa and Farhaan Zakhiel of Afghanistan with the trophy © ICC
Cast it out. Simple, but not easy.
Melancholic nostalgia strikes hard when a familiar leg-glance echoes the ghost of Azharuddin or a bowling gather reflects the charisma of Brett Lee. Even more so, when a young boy with a pubescently squeaky voice steams in to deliver 150km/h seeds, or a diminutive young man hooks a tall fast bowler for sixes. Every two years, a league of extraordinary young boys take their first steps into the realm of men.
Just one look at the squads from a decade ago, and you wonder why a team wouldn't just let the U-19s to walk into their team. The squad lists are star-studded with names that were, at the time, a shadow of their future selves. If only we knew then. If only.
Products of the World Cups past
Eternal Glory:In perhaps the greatest ODI of them all, the Irish skipper from the class of 2006, lifted the most coveted trophy in the sport on the night of July 14, 2019 - for England. 13 years on, Eoin Morgan had led England to their first ever World Cup win - a triumph that starred Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler who made the England side through - you guessed it - another U-19 World Cup (2010).
And then there was Kane Williamson, class of 2008, ashen-faced and scratching the New Zealand emblem after his team missed out on the trophy by boundary count. And then there was the faint-looking Guptill, on his knees and in agonising pain - falling inches short of glory for the second World Cup final in a row. It was an enduring image of a day that will be chronicled for decades, centuries to come.
Glory and pain lies ahead in equal measure for the select few who dare to make the leap into the league of men. There's anguish, there's agony, and there's unfathomable glory; for those who dare.
The Big Four:The four players, considered to be the best batsmen in the world, have been products of the U-19 World Cup: Virat Kohli (Over eleven thousand ODI runs, 43 hundreds, and likely to break a record that seemed unlikely at the time); Kane Williamson (runner-up skipper at the 2019 Cricket World Cup), Joe Root (World Cup winner in 2019 and current England Test Captain), and Steven Smith (need I say more?).
Made for the Big Stage:Two-time World T20 Champion Chris Gayle made his debut in the 1998 U-19 World Cup; Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh, the architects of India's landmark Natwest Final chase, and the latter also the Man of the Tournament in the 2011 World Cup, have both come through the U-19 World Cup system. Even Alastair Cook, England's highest run-scorer in Test cricket, got his first big break at the Under-19 World Cup.
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Where:The rainbow nation, South Africa
When:January 17 to February 9, 2020
Defending Champions:India
Teams:India, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Japan, Australia, England, West Indies, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Scotland, South Africa, Afghanistan, UAE, Canada.
