NZ coach, captain and manager named for ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2002

The New Zealand Under-19 captain, coach, manager and preliminary squad for the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup was named today.

Former New Zealand representative cricketer Mark Greatbatch was named coach; Dayle Hadlee, another former New Zealand cricket player and the current Director of the New Zealand Cricket Academy, was named manager and Central Districts batsman Ross Taylor was named captain.

Since his retirement from first-class cricket in 1998, Greatbatch has been working as coaching director for Central Districts.

"I'm very excited to be involved with the team and the ICC Under-19 World Cup.

"For our talented young cricketers to be playing in a tournament of this stature, particularly at home, is an opportunity of a lifetime and I'm sure they'll make the most of it," said Greatbatch.

19 of 24 players to participate in two trial matches on the 12th and 13th of December were named today and they will make up the nucleus of New Zealand's U19 side to compete in the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2002.

Team manager Hadlee who is also a selector said that, while the players selected for the trial were obviously under serious consideration, the final team would not be named until the completion of the National Under-19 Tournament on January 2, 2002.

"There is still the opportunity for players not in the trial to stake their claim for a spot in the World Cup squad if they have an outstanding National Under-19 Tournament.

"We're leaving the door open a little bit on final selection as an incentive to those in the trial to keep playing well and to allow some players around the country the opportunity to prove in the upcoming National Under-19 Tournament that they should have been included."

Hadlee also admitted that players in their mid to late teens are often not fully physically developed and this can result in dramatically changed form from one season to the next.

"People at this age are developing rapidly and in a physical sense a boy of 17 can be a man of 18 a year later.

"That's another reason to believe there may be one or two players in this year's Under-19 Tournament who may come into contention." New Zealand is the host of the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2002 which starts on January the 19th 2002.

15 teams from around the world are coming to New Zealand to contest the tournament.