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Question about very young test players.

Cabinet96

Global Moderator
It's not necessarily that they're fake, it's just that in countries like Pakistan birth certificates and birthdays aren't anything important, so they don't get followed. I've spoken to people who have played international under 19 cricket and they said that they were just playing against a bunch of 30 year olds when they played Pakistan.

With India it's not so much the case. Don't know why it is more of them come through in their teens.
 

uvelocity

International Coach
joking aside, we are getting too precious with holding kids back. the real superstars of any sport get to the highest levels as young as possible, it aids their development
 

Daemon

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Players from the subcontinent are more naturally gifted obviously. Other players are just coached into being good.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
It's not necessarily that they're fake, it's just that in countries like Pakistan birth certificates and birthdays aren't anything important, so they don't get followed. I've spoken to people who have played international under 19 cricket and they said that they were just playing against a bunch of 30 year olds when they played Pakistan.

With India it's not so much the case. Don't know why it is more of them come through in their teens.
Dunno, India's a very big country.

I bet in some of the more rural areas that not all births are assiduously registered.

Praveen Kumar was supposedly 24 when he toured here in 2011, but looked closer to 40.
 

morgieb

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They like to be edgier with selections than other nations, and more rural poorer nations have dodgy birth certificates IIRC.

I mean, does anyone actually believe Afridi was 16 when he scored a 37-ball ton?
 

Burgey

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Aaqib Javed toured here as a 16 year old, came back a year later for an ODI tourney and was 19.
 

Daemon

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Players from the subcontinent are more naturally gifted obviously. Other players are just coached into being good.
Adding to this, most of our players that have a stint in the CC come back with a marked improvement in their skills. If we had the resources they have we'd be #1 all the time, and if other countries had ours they'd be ****.
 

Maximas

Cricketer Of The Year
the search for the next Sachin maybe? Perhaps the subcontinent doesn't believe in Micheal Hussey's...
 

Flem274*

123/5
Adding to this, most of our players that have a stint in the CC come back with a marked improvement in their skills. If we had the resources they have we'd be #1 all the time, and if other countries had ours they'd be ****.
You suck at trolling Captain.

Leave it to the pros.
 

Daemon

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It's the truth and deep down everyone knows it. Look at Afghanistan for example.
 

Salamuddin

International Debutant
I think the overage thing is a bit overplayed tbh. Not saying it doesn't happen but it's not the only reason subcontinental players make their debut at younger ages.

I do think subcontinental cricketers mature a bit quicker than their counterparts from Western countries - you can observe this at u-19 level cricket. One of the biggest reasons India and Pakistan dominate at this level is that they are technically a lot better at that age then the teams from elsewhere. Plus many boys from the subcontinent have positions of responsibility within their families from an early age - Kohli's dad for example died when Virat was 17 . Others are the sole breadwinners for their families - definitely helps in prepping for an earlier start in senior intl cricket.


And IMO Pakistan and India produce the biggest pool of talented players - obviously when you've got a population with a real affinity for the game, you're going to be producing the young talents a bit more frequently than other countries.
 
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