CA's draft style camp to launch in Brisbane

Cricket Australia’s first-ever PRO Camp launches in Brisbane this week, with 19 players vying for state contract selection in a high-intensity three-day program.

Held at Brisbane’s Bupa National Cricket Centre and under the watchful eye of state and youth talent managers, the players will be put through their paces in a series of combined tasks designed to showcase their specialities.

Wes Agar, younger brother of Australia World T20 spinner Ashton Agar, leads a talent-packed list of players aged between 16 and 20 to attend the camp.

The tall-quick was handpicked by youth selectors after a positive display in Australia’s recent Under 19 Tri-Series in Dubai, where the adopted South Australian reached speeds of above 130kph.

Newcastle batsman Jason Sangha will also have the chance to showcase his skills after a blistering 2015-16 season, climbing from the 15 and Under tournament in July and advancing through each National Championship.

The 16-year-old eventually found himself in the Under 19 Australia side, scoring 102 on debut against Pakistan’s Under 19 squad in Dubai.

Cricket Australia’s National Talent Manager Greg Chappell said the emerging talent in the country would be given the first opportunity to fast track their entry into Australia’s first class system.

“These players are the top talent around the country and we believe they have the attributes to go to the next level,” Chappell told cricket.com.au.

“It is programs like the Pro Camp and our National Championships that provide a platform for our next crop of elite cricketers, obviously with an eye towards national representation.

“We would anticipate that a number of the players who attend the PRO Camp will earn a rookie contract with one of the State squads in 2016-17.”

Each state has two rookie contract places in their squad, with both able to be used to select players from the PRO camp, each state having priority access to home based players.

Should a player be passed on by their home state, opposing states will then have the opportunity to offer the player a one-year rookie contract.

The camp follows on from a series of initiatives over the past 12 months by Cricket Australia to identify, engage and retain more talented teens than ever before.

This includes the introduction of CA XI teams in the Matador Cup and national youth titles designed to stretch and extend the most promising young players from Under-15s through to senior cricket.

The players will be in camp from Tuesday through to Thursday, and will complete a suite of sports science testing, undergo professional development, fine tune batting and bowling techniques and play a “battlezone” style game on the last day utilising the NCC’s hybrid spin pitch.

CA PRO Camp squad: Jake Carder (WA), Patrick Page Jnr (SA), Clint Hinchliffe (WA), Brandon King (TAS), Jason Sangha (ACT/NSW Ctry), Sam Grimwade (VIC Met), Corey Murfet (TAS), Arjun Nair (NSW Met), Michael Cormack (SA), Tom O'Donnell (VIC Met), Wesley Agar (SA), David Grant (SA), Liam Hatcher (NSW Met), Mac Wright (ACT/NSW Ctry), Will Pucovski (VIC Met), Jonty Rushton (VIC Met), Blake Thomson (VIC Met), Xavier Bartlett (QLD), Blake Edwards (QLD), Max Bryant (QLD).