Fearing that the game hereabouts is ageing, Australia is trying to find youngsters mature and gifted enough to chuck into the deep end. The success of the Under-19 team at the World Cup is ample proof that Australian cricket does not want to become old and crabby, writes Peter Roebuck in the Age.

Not that Australia needs to rush to promote these fellows. Performance needs to be part of the package. Arguably the selectors have been in too much of a hurry. Moises Henriques, Phillip Hughes and David Warner count among players whose abilities took them ahead of their knowledge. Now they are consolidating until balance has been restored.

Hammad Azam, whose batting has been crucial to the Pakistan U-19s making it to the World Cup final, tells cricistan.com that the credit goes to the coach Ijaz Ahmed. Hammad's innings under pressure in the quarter and semi-finals were superb and reflecting on those crackerjacks he says there's hardly ever a reason to take wild slogs.

I was only thinking of one thing. I kept telling myself that regardless of whether the team wins or loses, my job was to stay there till the last ball. The team needed me and what they needed the most from me was to stay out there and not give my wicket away. In both games I knew that if I was still batting at the end of the innings then Pakistan would have won the match.

Pakistan's Under-19 captain, Azeem Ghumman, comes across as a confident young man in his interview with cricistan.com. Almost all the batsmen in the Pakistan line-up are openers, including Ghumman. Here's his take on switching to the middle order during the World Cup in New Zealand:

I made 49 against the West Indies and got out trying to accelerate the run rate in the last 10 overs, I suppose I could have slowed down and got my 50 but then we wouldnt have got the big score that helped us put pressure on their batsmen. And the same thing happened against Papa New Guinea where I got out on 40 trying to increase our net run rate. I've always known that opening the innings is a tough job but now I've got a new appreciation of what a number 4 or 5 batsman goes through, it's not an easy job at all.

	Rahul calling Rahul © Getty Images

The Hindustan Times' Anand Vasu speaks to another Indian pair making a noise in New Zealand, and this time it is the opening pair of Rahul Kannaur and Mayank Agarwal. Both Bangalore boys, one has modelled his game on Virender Sehwag and the other idolises Rahul Dravid.

"It's great to be compared to the player you've looked up to all your life," says Kannaur, even speaking a language that's uncannily similar to his idol. "I think of it as an honour to be compared to one of the best players India has ever produced."

"The timing and aggression are a gift I've been given by God," says Agarwal.

	From Malad to Churchgate to Lincoln © Getty Images

Defending champions India got their Under-19 World Cup campaign off to a winning start, easily beating Afghanistan. Central to that win was their new-ball pair of Sandeep Sharma and Saurabh Netrawalkar, right-arm and left-arm medium respectively, who bowled their quota on the trot very economically. Anand Vasu met them for the Hindustan Times.

Netrawalkar is now studying Computer Science as an engineering major, and often carries his books with him on cricket tours. He remembers how his parents took the journey with him from Malad to Churchgate when he was picked up by Dilip Vengsarkar's Elf Academy as a child. "Not only did they come with me, they waited for three hours while practice was on, and took me home," says Netrawalkwar. The hard work is paying off, as the youngster matches on-field exploits with academic excellence off it.

"In studies I am some way behind Saurabh," says Sandeep, who is finishing up 12th standard in Punjab. "You've heard of the Patiala peg?" he asks, when you want to know where in Punjab he's from. But engineering's not for everyone, and Sandeep's talents with the ball are there for everyone to see.

A few familiar surnames stand out in the team sheets, ahead of the Under-19 World Cup. And over two weeks in New Zealand, the star kids will not only look to make their famous fathers proud, but also settle some old scores. Sandeep Dwivedi has more in the Indian Express.

The Pakistan and Australia squads in New Zealand for ICC's biannual youth event have a distinct 80s feel to them, with names such as Usman Qadir, Alister McDermott and Mitchell Marsh instantly ringing a bell. Joining them on the starson list are Nicholas Buchanan -- former Australia coach John's son -- and former India all-rounder Ajay Sharma's son Manan. Also keenly following the action in New Zealand will be John Bracewell, whose nephews Doug and Michael are the home team's big hope.