This summer is continuing a vibrant tradition in international cricket: the graduation of brilliant U19 cricketers to fully-fledged stars of the game.Sam Konstas
The likes of Cooper Connolly and Campbell Kellaway represented Australia at the 2022 tournament, while Jake Fraser-McGurk, Todd Murphy and Tanveer Sangha were 2020 squad members. That year, the World Cup’s leading runscorer was India’s budding megastar Yashasvi Jaiswal . Sam Konstas raises his bat after his 2024 U19 World Cup century against West Indies. Picture: Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty ImagesOf the current Aussie Test team, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Josh Hazlewood and Travis Head all represented, as did limited-overs stars like Matt Short, Adam Zampa and Xavier Bartlett. Marsh captained a tournament win in 2010, with Hazlewood Player of the Match in the final against Pakistan .
The list of Australian U19 World Cup representatives is remarkable, stacked with players who became greats, journeymen and lost talents in senior cricket.