Joe Sayers has tipped a bright future for Yorkshire’s England under-19 stars.
Four White-Rose teenagers are currently at the World Cup in Dubai, where England were beaten by Pak-istan in Monday’s semi-final.
Seamer Josh Shaw has only played two matches, but captain Will Rhodes, 16-year-old Matthew Fisher and Jonny Tattersall have impressed throughout the tournament.
Retired Sayers played for England under-19s between 2001 and 2003, captaining them once in 2003 when Alastair Cook played.
All-rounder Rhodes, fast bowler Fisher and opening batsman Tattersall all played first-team cricket last summer, and Sayers believes their experiences of international cricket during the last month will be of huge benefit.
“I’m pleased to see they’ve done well, and it’s a great platform from which they can push on,” he said.
“I’m sure all those lads will come back brimming with confidence and excitement about their future careers.
“The responsibility of playing for your country, there’s nowhere that can be practiced outside of the senior teams.
“I had three years playing for the under-19s, and it helped me a great deal.”
Rhodes has scored 159 runs and taken six wickets from five matches, Fisher has taken ten wickets and Tattersall has also scored 159 runs.
And Sayers, assessing their prospects having played with them, said: “I think the benefit Rhodesy’s had is an exposure to A-List cricket already.
“We saw with Tim Bresnan that he played a lot of one-day cricket early in his career before becoming commonplace in the four-day side.
“That experience of having to learn on the job in a pressurised environment stood him in great stead.
“That’s the same for Rhodesy. I think there’s a certain maturity about him. He loves to lead. He’s very determined and competitive, and a very good player with the bat in particular.
“I think Tatts has a lot of the strong temperament that you need to bat in the top order.
“Technically, he seems pretty sound for his age and experience. He’s also a fantastic fielder in the ring.
“There’s a tragic background to Matthew’s story with his father’s passing, but I think that really motivates him to make the best of himself.
“I think it’s going to be really key that he’s managed in a sensible way going forward because he’s got pace and skill beyond his years. He’s certainly someone to keep a close eye on.”
England play a third and fourth place play-off match on Friday before heading home.
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