Shield performers lead NPS honours

Cameron Bancroft and Andrew Fekete, two of the top performers in the Bupa Sheffield Shield last season, have been rewarded with selection in Cricket Australia's National Performance Squad for 2015.

Alcohol.Think Again Warriors opener Bancroft and Tasmanian fast-bowler Fekete are the biggest names in the 13-man squad that will spend the winter months playing matches and taking part in specialised training camps in Australia and India. 

The players were selected after input from Bupa NCC Head Coach Troy Cooley, Cricket Australia National Talent Manager Greg Chappell and State Talent Managers.

They have been identified as having the potential to play a significant role in Australian cricket in the future.

Cricket Australia also announced highly-rated young batsman Jake Doran as one of five 2015 Kerry Packer Foundation scholars, also known as the Hampshire scholars, who will be based in Southampton in England from late April until late August.

Doran, the star of Australia's concurrent Under 19 series against England, will be in Hampshire until June 29 when he will be replaced by Queenslander James Bazley. Tom Andrews, Ben Ashkenazi and Sean Willis are the other scholars for this year.

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Fekete was named Tasmania's player of the year earlier this month having taken 37 wickets in the Shield last season, the second-most in the competition, while Bancroft scored 896 Shield runs at 47.

The duo will be part of the NPS squad that will join the world's highest ranked T20 bowler Samuel Badree at a spin camp at the Bupa NCC in Brisbane next month and train with members of Australia's Test squad before their departure for the West Indies.

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The squad will also head to India for playing and training opportunities in the sub-continent, including time at the world-famous MRF fast-bowling facility under the tutelage of Test great Glenn McGrath.

They will also play four one-day matches against the Australian Indigenous Squad in July, and train with members of the Australia A and under-19 squads ahead of their winter tours of India and England respectively.

"The National Performance Squad is a broad group of players from our U19 and Australia A programs who we think have the potential to go on and make an impact in Australian cricket," Cooley said.

"The winter program at the state-of-the-art Bupa National Cricket Centre is a great opportunity for those in the National Performance Squad to develop their skills to the next level through individualised training at a world-class facility, game-based activities in varying conditions, match pressure and touring experience.   

"The program also focuses on off-field development for the players, including coaching courses, career education and study opportunities."

"The Kerry Packer Foundation scholars selected to play in England are players we think will benefit from the self-reliant and self-starting opportunities of playing abroad as they continue to hone their significant cricketing talent and progress in their career."

2015 National Performance Squad
Cameron Bancroft (WA), Jake Carder (WA), Andrew Fekete (TAS), David Grant (SA), Liam Hatcher (NSW), Patrick Page (SA), Jonte Pattison (ACT/NSW Country), Matthew Renshaw (QLD), Jhye Richardson (WA), Matthew Short (VIC), Billy Stanlake (QLD), Henry Thornton (NSW), Guy Walker (VIC)

2015 Kerry Packer Foundation scholars to play in England (27 April-30 August)
Tom Andrews (NT/SA, English club Bashley Rydal), Ben Ashkenazi (VIC, English club Lymington), Jake Doran (NSW/TAS, English club Henley)*, Sean Willis (TAS, English club Ventnor)
* Doran to be replaced by James Bazley (QLD) from June 29 until end of the program