by Abhai Sawkar It's been that time of the year when there's plenty of cricket going on all over the world, international, domestic, you name it. Recently, New Zealand's domestic T20 league, the Burger King Super Smash, has concluded, with the Central Districts Stags finishing as runners-up to the Northern Districts Knights. The Stags have been a consistent team over the years, and it was great to see them feature in the now defunct tournament, the Champions League T20. Quite a few players from past and present have had prosperous outings in the national outfit; Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder, and Ross Taylor, to name a few. And there's yet another promising, talented player who's been leading the side for a few years: Will Young, who's led the domestic side since being successfully fast-tracked into captaincy following the retirement of former New Zealand Test wicketkeeper, Kruger van Wyk. It's been quite a road so far, and giving a younger player (pun intended there!) the reins is not only an effective learning curve but also excellent planning for the future. Young's side has enjoyed a couple of consistent seasons in the Super Smash, having finished as runners-up both this year and the last year. After a difficult final against the Knights following an impressive group stage, I was more than lucky enough to get a chance to have an interview with the Stags and former national U19 skipper: Q: You led the national U19 side a few years ago and now you've been the Central Stags skipper for quite a while. How has the journey been so far and how are you enjoying being in charge of the XI? A: I remember captaining the NZ U19 team at the 2012 U19 WC in Australia fondly. It was my first taste of semi professional cricket and I loved it. I’ve also captained the CD Stags for the past 2 and half seasons. We’ve got an incredibly talented group of players and a outstanding group of men too. It’s incredibly rewarding when the team is winning. However, that’s not always the case with cricket and that provides an opportunity to learn more about the game and myself. Q: Well done on reaching two consecutive Super Smash finals. Both times, things didn't go as planned, and what are some positives you and the team can take? A: In T20, everyone is exposed to pressure situations throughout the competition. We have played consistently quality cricket throughout the past two Super Smash seasons. We fell short in the final both campaigns which is hugely disappointing however we are clearly a quality side and I’m looking forward to making amends to this trend in the near future! Q: Give me three words that describe your playing style. A: When I’m playing my best. Timing, Balance, Control. Q: Who's your cricketing idol/most influential figure and why? A: I’ve always had an Indian batting coach who lives in Taranaki when I was growing up and learning about the game. He would always use examples about the great Sachin Tendulkar and we would watch video clips of his best innings together. From a young age I suppose he was my cricketing idol. Q: Which format(s) is/are your favorite and why? A: Winning a first class game is the most satisfying victory in my opinion, therefor playing test cricket is my dream. I also really like 50 over Cricket as it’s a test of all skills over a shorter period of time. Q: What are your cricketing resolutions/plans for 2018? A: I want to score as many runs as possible domestically and ideally put a few hundreds next to my name! Q: Last, but not least, what's your message to the fans and the up-and-coming players? A: To the up and coming players my message would be to work hard to give yourself the best chance of success and to enjoy the game and your team mates. To my fans, thanks so much for your love and support along my cricketing journey so far! Great, determined words from a great leader indeed. The Super Smash has been an action-packed, thrilling tournament, and has attracted a massive fan base. Being a fan of New Zealand cricket for several years, it's been great to see the rise and development of new, upcoming players from U19 level to potentially earning senior national caps. The Ford Trophy one-day final will be soon and my best wishes are with Young and the Stags to hoist the silverware and play some more fantastic cricket in the remainder of the Plunket Shield games. Finally, I'm hoping that Young will get the international debut he deserves, the sooner the better! After a stint in the NZ A team, a productive remainder in the first-class season should move him one step closer to achieving his Test cricket dream as a solid middle-order batsman. All the experience will come in handy, especially being in charge of a national side teeming with impressively talented youngsters. A big thanks to Young for his time and availability, and all the best to New Zealand in the upcoming home Test series against England!
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AuthorsAkseli Pitkänen Archives
September 2020
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