3 U19 World Cup-winning captains who failed to make it big in international cricket ft. Unmukt Chand
The U19 World Cup has, over the years, become the perfect launchpad for young cricketers. While India has been the dominant side, teams like Australia and Pakistan too have made their presence felt in the tournament.
The U19 World Cup has long been seen as the litmus test for young cricketers as it tests their promise, potential and temperament. This tournament has been instrumental in the development of a whole host of Indian players such as Yuvraj Singh in 2000, Rohit Sharma in 2006, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja in 2008.
Rishabh Pant and Ishan Kishan in 2016, and Shubman Gill in 2018, were also successful in their respective editions and have now become leading cricketers for the country.
Here we take a look at 3 U19 World Cup-winning captains who failed to make it big in international cricket:
#3 Geoff Parker
Geoffrey Ross Parker was the captain of the U19 Australian cricket team during the 1988 Youth World Cup. However, he could not kick on after his successful start; Parker featured in only 11 Youth Tests and 19 Youth One Day Internationals.
He made his first-class debut with Victoria in 1985 when he took on the Indian side as the all-rounder in the side. In 1990, Parker went over to Church Cricket Club in Lancashire, showcasing his all-round prowess with one century and eleven wickets in three league games.
After leaving Victoria post the 1991/92 season, he made a comeback with South Australia in 1996/97, after a nearly five-year hiatus.
The all-rounder could only feature in 37 first-class matches, where he scored 1,616 runs at an average of 26.93. During this tenure, he also scored 2 centuries, including a top score of 117, and picked up 6 wickets. He was also part of 28 List-A games where he scored 502 runs at an average of 22.81.
#2 Khalid Latif
Khalid Latif led Pakistan to victory in the U19 World Cup of 2004. He was the brightest spark for Pakistan during this edition as he scored 291 runs across eight innings.
Latif then made his One Day International (ODI) debut in 2008 against Zimbabwe in Faisalabad. He was also handed a T20I debut on the same tour against Zimbabwe.
However, he could only play five ODIs and 10 T20 Internationals for Pakistan and slowly faded away. On February 10, 2017, Khalid Latif was provisionally suspended under the anti-corruption code of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Controversy followed him around as in 2018, a Dutch court sentenced Khalid Latif to 12 years in prison in absentia. This was due to the charges that stemmed from his alleged encouragement of individuals to assassinate Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders.
#1 Unmukt Chand
One of the greatest lost hopes of Indian cricket, Unmukt Chand announced his retirement from Indian cricket nine years after he led the U19 World Cup side to the title.
Chand struggled to replicate his success at the youth level in senior cricket. He did make a strong start to his first-class career, but could not string together consistent performances.
Chand was given chances in the IPL, but could never set the stage alight. After losing his spot for different teams, he eventually decided to relocate to the USA.
After he retired from Indian cricket, Chand was part of different international leagues, featuring in the Big Bash League too, before making his presence felt in the Bangladesh Premier League. He is also part of Major League Cricket in the United States.