Huge chance for Hugo
Dolphins teen on CA rookie list
TEENAGE batsman Hugo Burdon will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Gold Coast Dolphins teammate Xavier Bartlett after earning a place in Cricket Australia’s Pathways Rookie Squad for 2018-19.
Burdon, 16, is one of 39 players aged 15-17 chosen in the squad, which provides development opportunities for Australia’s next generation of stars.
The Miami resident is currently captaining Queensland at the national under-17 championships in Brisbane and Mackay.
The Pathways Rookie Squad program was launched in 2015. Its graduates list includes 19-year-old fast bowler Bartlett, who debuted for Queensland at the JLT OneDay Cup last month.
CA pathways manager Graham Manou said Burdon, who has not missed a firstgrade game for the Dolphins this season after debuting in Round 1, now had a golden chance to build on his promising foundations.
“The CA Pathways Rookie Squad is now entering its fourth season and gives our emerging male players the opportunity to develop both as cricketers and young men,” Manou said.
“It’s a chance for them to get specialist support at both a state and national level from a skills perspective, and also in areas such as their offfield education. A select group will then take part in a camp at the National Cricket Centre in 2019.
“We’re now starting to see players progressing from this program and representing their state sides, which is really pleasing. This year’s squad – like those in previous years – contains some really exciting young players and we hope this program continues to assist their development.”
Burdon’s Dolphins clubmate Delissa Kimmince was this week named in the Southern Stars squads for this month’s three-match ODI series against Pakistan in Malaysia and the Women’s World T20 in the West Indies from November 9-24.
Her teammates Georgia Redmayne and SammyJo Johnson were part of history yesterday when they were named in the first official women’s Australia A touring party.
The side will play three one-dayers and three T20s in Mumbai from October 15.