U19 World Cup’s stars-in-the-making whose cricket-playing fathers had a DNS against their names

The tournament often provides a window into their worlds and upbringing as the upcoming edition sees players with a close connection to the sport, with either their blood relations or the extended family having played cricket upto a certain level.

The cricket roots:

V Devendran Father/of Deepesh (India): Devendran was part of the Tamil Nadu team that won the inaugural Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. A hard-hitting batsman who got into the state team after hitting 21 sixes in a league match, he joined the Indian Cricket League (ICL) a tournament that was not authorised by the BCCI. “Kapil Dev spoke to my mother and offered a good contract. Since it was Kapil, she couldn’t refuse and I joined ICL. Next day, I was not even allowed to enter Chepauk. My career came to an end but I couldn’t leave the sport,” says Devendran who is assistant coach at India Pistons, a name synonymous with club cricket in Chennai. His son, Deepesh is a fast-bowler who is seen as a talent to watch out for and one who Devendran believes will emulate him. “Since I came from a humble background, I didn’t know the nuances of the sport. One match, I hit L Balaji for three sixes in an over and he placed all the fielders at the boundary. Instead of working the ball for a single, I went searching for the fourth six and got out and everyone made fun of me saying I lacked the intelligence. I’ve made Deepesh into a thinking fast-bowler. He isn’t ready 100 per cent, but he is evolving,” he says.

R Sukumar, F/O RS Ambrish (India): A promising all-rounder who captained TN in age-group levels, and scored big at University level, Sukumar moved to Railways because it offered him job security in life. At Railways, he was a consistent performer, but with the team already having the likes of Sanjay Bangar, JP Yadav, he couldn’t make the team. These days, he coaches the cricket team at Integral Coach Factory, which manufactures the Vande Bharat trains. His constant message to his son, who is also an all-rounder like him, is to wear the state cap and beyond. “I definitely want him to do what I couldn’t achieve. You can say he is living my dream because I couldn’t go beyond a certain level. I probably lacked consistency… that’s why I couldn’t play higher level cricket. I’ve experienced how intense the competition is. It is unforgiving. I wasn’t prepared for it. Now the competition is a lot more and the opportunities are also more. So I’m just trying my level best to give him exposure. I couldn’t break the barriers, but he has already achieved what I couldn’t. He is little more stronger than me,” he says.

Clinton Peake F/O Oliver Peake (Australia): The Peakes’ are no strangers to Indians. In 1994, Clinton was part of the Australia U-19 team that played India, against whom he scored 304 – a world record that still stands in Youth Tests. Once he moved to the senior levels, he struggled to break into the Victoria team and moved into coaching. Oliver, his elder son, has featured in the previous edition of the U19 World Cup in 2024 which they won beating India in the final. In a recent Big Bash match, playing for Melbourne Renegades against Perth Scorchers with four needed off the last ball, Oliver hit a six to send a packed Optus stadium into silence. “I’m not as emotional as I was last time, but you can say I’m sort of excited to see him play overseas. He has already travelled to new places and has played cricket which is excellent. It is lot different to what I had. He is winning games off the last ball in front of a packed crowd, he is defending calmly in the final hour of a first-class fixture with crowded men around him. So I don’t know what he would come up against boys of his age at the World Cup.” This time Oliver is captaining the Australian team that has players from different backgrounds and varied cultures including ones from sub-continent. “We live in a society where the local University has a lot of Indian students. For us, it is normal. It doesn’t matter. Society is developing and the cricket team is just a good reflection of it. It is normal for Oliver.”

Andy Blignaut F/O Kian and Michael (Zimbabwe): At his peak, Blignaut famously touched 150kpmh and was a hard-hitting batsman down the order. He took the field against Australia after colouring his hair into a Zimbabwe flag and quit cricket to pursue modelling before returning in time to play the 2003 World Cup at home. After rebelling with a group of players, his career ended and at the World Cup, his twin sons will be in action. “I’m just excited because I’ve always loved the sport thanks to my father. It has always been a dream to play for Zimbabwe and certainly we looked up to dad,” says Michael.

And beyond them there is England cricketer Mooen Ali who will watch his nephew Isaac Mohammed, a top-order batsman who bowls medium pace with keen interest. Similarly, Farhan Ahmed will look to do what his elder brother Rehan has achieved for England. The Ahmeds with their roots in Karachi, are born and raised in Nottingham with the 17-year-old emerging as a promising talent.

In Auckland, the 73-year-old Jeremy Coney will be glued to the television hearing pundits track his grandson Thomas Jones, a middle order batsman. An all-rounder who played 52 Tests and 88 ODIs and captained the Black Caps, he was a musician and a teacher before turning pro and has his name etched in history for being in the team that beat the high-flying West Indies in 1979-80. He became a renowned voice in world cricket as a radio and television commentator.