5 U19 World Cup fast-bowlers who went on to shine for their national teams
Several players have had a smooth transition from U19 World Cup to their national teams. The global event, organized for cricketers of under 19 years, has produced several world-class cricketers in its long and glorious history of 30 years.
India, since the inaugural season in 1998, holds the record for the most number of titles – four. From the 2000 edition of the Under-19 World Cup, as many as 67 players went on to get international caps, the most from any single World Cup edition.
Let us look at 5 fast-bowlers who played in the U19 World Cup and went on to shine for their international teams.
#1 Kagiso Rabada
Kagiso Rabada is, game by game, proving to the world that he can be Dale Steyn’s successor. Rabada had a spectacular Under-19 World Cup in 2014. The then 18-year-old ended the tournament as its best bowler, picking up 14 wickets from his five matches. His bowling exploits helped the Proteas win their first World Cup.
Soon followed his T20 debut the same year, in which he dismissed Glenn Maxwell for a duck, tearing past his defence. His ODI debut, one he will remember for a lifetime, followed the next year.
Rabada recorded the best-ever figures by any bowler on his ODI debut. He, along with Fidel Edwards, became the only bowler in the world to have taken a six-wicket haul in their first ODI.
On the tour of Bangladesh the same year, the speedster picked up a hat-trick in Mirpur.