Austin Waugh and Thando Ntini set to shine in U19 World Cup

The ICC U19 Cricket World Cup is all set to commence in New Zealand on January 13 as the young stars of the cricketing world will fight it out for the ultimate glory. The past editions of the tournament have proved that the teams leave no stone unturned in their preparations for the marquee event. However, this time around the next generations of legendary cricketers Steve Waugh and Makhaya Ntini will also feature in the World Cup. Austin Waugh and Thando Ntini are aiming to make it big in the upcoming competition which will take place until February 3.

Austin Waugh, the son of Steve, first hogged the limelight with an unbeaten 122-run knock n the final of the U-17 National Championships in 2016. Thando, the son of former South Africa cricketer Makhaya Ntini, first burst into the international arena at U19 level with a four-wicket haul in his debut game against Windies earlier this year. Both the players want to make the most of the opportunity to represent their country and build on to the success from there on.

I want to make the most of my potential

Austin Waugh likens the game of the all-rounder Hardik Pandya and his favourite cricketer is Phil Hughes for his free-flowing technique. “I’m aiming to test myself against the best players from around the world. I want to make the most of my potential and see how far it can take me. All three formats attract me as I enjoy testing my skills and being able to adapt from format to format,” he said while speaking to PTI.

Austin will be accompanied by Will Sutherland, the son of James Sutherland, the Chief Executive of Cricket Australia (CA). He has already played a first-class game and was one of the key performers for Australia against Sri Lanka U19 team this year. Thando Ntini, on the other hand, credits his father, Makhaya Ntini, for his liking to the game of cricket. “I started playing cricket in the passages of hotels with the Proteas as a three-year-old. My father played, so I followed in his footsteps,” he said in an ICC release. The young South African also compares his approach to none other than the Indian captain Virat Kohli.