5 Under-19s stars who did not fulfill their potential
Under-19 cricket produces mixed results. Some of the players who have thrived in this age-range have seamlessly transitioned into their nation's senior squads.
The likes of Quinton de Kock, Virat Kohli, Marcus Trescothick, Alastair Cook, Cheteshwar Pujara, Mohammad Amir, Chris Cairns and Kagiso Rabada all thrived in representing their country at Under-19 level, and have all similarly thrived for their senior sides.
National sides look for their youth teams to provide players of this ilk. The intention of Under-19 cricket is to pave the way for talented youngsters into the senior sides. Yet some players are unable to transfer these talents onto the big stage.
These are players who have gone toe-to-toe with the players like Kohli, Cook and Amir in Under-19 cricket, and have sometimes even bettered them, but have failed to reach their potential.
Some of these players still get their chance at international glory, often due to the fact the selectors have been familiar with them from such an early age.
Mitchell Marsh is a prime example of this. His Test batting average of 26.08 and bowling average of 42.45 are underwhelming. Yet the selectors saw his potential when he was made captain of the Australian Under-19s, and his 30 Tests can be seen as a result of them hoping he will eventually reach these heights.
Other players such as Pakistan's Sami Aslam, Bangladesh's Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and England's Ben Foakes are currently trying to replicate the heights they reached in youth cricket at the game's highest tier.
If they are unable to make their mark at this level, having been so impressive earlier in their careers, than they certainly won't be alone. Many players have had dazzling youth careers for their countries only to have lackluster international careers.
Then there are even those who were as talented as any in their youth, but ended up struggling to maintain their place in their domestic sides, often fading into obscurity on the stage many hoped they would be leading the way for their country.
This article looks at some of the most notable players who shone in Under-19 cricket, but were unable to make an impression for their senior sides.
#5 Theo Doropoulos (Australia)
For over 14 years Doropoulos held the record for the highest score by an Under-19 player. This was in February of 2003, when he announced himself to the cricketing world with a sensational innings of 179 against an England Under-19 attack that included Tim Bresnan and Liam Plunkett.
This innings is particularly impressive when it is considered that the Australian Under 19s only mustered 270 in their 50 overs, with no other batsman reaching 30.
Doropoulos was a powerful batting allrounder, not dissimilar to the aforementioned Mitchell Marsh. Like Marsh, Doropoulos came out of the West Australian cricket academy, who for the past few decades have consistently been producing international players for the senior side.
Yet Doropoulos would never play for the senior side, and his state career would only see him recreate glimpses of the brilliance he showed that day against England.
In one of his first List A games he made a 63-ball 75, including a six he hit into the top tier of the Gabba, off Michael Kasprowicz no less.
But Doropoulos would never make a domestic hundred, and by January 2013, hehad played his last game of domestic cricket. He was not yet thirty.