U19s head to Dubai for mini-World Cup

Australia's Under-19s are en route to Dubai for a bittersweet campaign, dinging out on an entrée of warm-up matches but denied the main course of a World Cup appearance.

The same security concerns that forced Cricket Australia to postpone a two-Test tour of Bangladesh last October have also forced the organisation to withdraw the under-19s from the World Cup.

Instead, a four-match tri-series with New Zealand and Pakistan's under-19 teams at the ICC Academy in Dubai is now the most serious competition Australia's youth team will get, their own mini-World Cup.

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Rather than warming up for a tournament they are not competing in, the matches now take on extra significance for the squad.

"It is hugely disappointing not being in a World Cup, and it (the under-19 tournament) only happens every two years," said Pat Howard, CA's Executive General Manager Team Performance.

"We thought it was really important for an Australian team to play. It might be the only time some of these people actually ever play for their country.

"To get them any sort of opportunity to play for their country is important, and that's why we made decision to continue on to Dubai."

The withdrawal will have flow-on effects. Howard is concerned by players missing the opportunity for experience at a high-pressure international tournament, playing in subcontinent conditions, as well as denying potential stars a stage on which to emerge.

Despite the current security situation making travel to the country impossible, CA are keen to return to Bangladesh to fulfil their obligations for the postponed Test matches from last October.

"We are most certainly looking for opportunities to put it back in the schedule," Howard said. "We'll take government support and opportunities to assess (the security situation) and we're working with Bangladesh Cricket to find time for that two-Test series."

The Bangladesh team is scheduled to visit Australia for a revival of the Top End Series in the winter of 2018.

While the under-19 team has had its obligations curtailed, Cricket Australia continues to expand its talent pathway programme for underage players.

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A five-day camp for the top U19 talent at Brisbane's Bupa National Cricket Centre in April will act as essentially a draft camp for players vying for a state rookie contract.

And 25 of the brightest cricketers aged 14 to 17 will spend four days at the NCC later this month at the CA Pathway Rookie camp where one-on-one training from specialist coaches will be the focus.

It's part of what Howard calls the "war for talent", the battle to keep talented young athletes focussed on cricket.

"It's all about putting them on a pathway to being a professional cricketer and then, ultimately, looking to play for Australia long term," Howard said.

"We want to show them how important they are and where we're going. All the state talent managers will be up there to look at them to ensure they're not just across their own talent but all the talent in the country.

"We want to get the best coaches down to the level below … to refine skills so they are coming to state cricket better."

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