Former senior men’s coach Tim Nielsen will run Australia’s Under-19 programme for next month’s home series against India, a five-match stretch that doubles as the last proper tune-up before January’s U19 World Cup in Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Cricket Australia confirmed a 15-player squad for three 50-over games and two four-day “Youth Tests”, all split between Brisbane’s Ian Healy Oval (21, 24, 26 September; 30 September-3 October) and Mackay (7-10 October).
Nielsen, 57, knows the pathway well. He assisted John Buchanan during Australia’s golden era, then led the national side from 2007-11, before years spent shaping talent at the now-defunct Centre of Excellence. More recently he served as South Australia’s high-performance boss and took a short-term red-ball brief with Pakistan alongside long-time mate Jason Gillespie. The development gig at CA reopened when Lachlan Stevens moved on earlier this year; Nielsen was the obvious call.
“Herding teenagers is different to Test cricket,” he chuckled last week, “but the fundamentals don’t change—good habits, clear plans, and a bit of fun.”
Headline acts in short supply
The squad’s main talking point is who is missing. Oliver Peake, still only 18, cracked a Youth Test hundred in India last season and looked the next cab off the rank. A tidy 52 on first-class debut for Victoria, followed by 92 for Australia A v Sri Lanka A in July, pushed him into senior development territory, so he will tour India with Australia A instead. Whether he returns for the World Cup is unclear; the Renegades want him for the BBL, Victoria need him for Sheffield Shield cricket, and workloads quickly get messy.
India, by contrast, will bring Vaibhav Suryavanshi—the lad who belted that 58-ball century in last year’s opening Youth Test. Australian fans may remember the moment; coaches certainly do.
Only four survivors from last year’s winless trip to India remain: Simon Budge, Steve Hogan, Hayden Schiller and Alex Lee Young. New faces dominate, including WA quick Dylan Farrell and NSW all-rounder Max Kelleher, each clocking lively speeds during academy camps.
CA’s Head of National Development, Sonya Thompson, set the tone. “We’re excited to continue our preparation for the ongoing ICC U19 World cup cycle, with an exciting squad of emerging players,” she said. “This series against India provides a valuable opportunity for our young players to experience international cricket in white-ball and red-ball formats, and to test themselves against a high-quality opponent.”
Why Nielsen, why now?
Insiders say the board wanted a steady hand before World Cup selections. Nielsen’s time away from day-to-day coaching offers fresh eyes, while his links to state systems should ease negotiations over player availability—often the trickiest part of youth cricket.
Former Test opener Chris Rogers, who dealt with Nielsen at South Australia, believes the move is sensible if not glamorous. “Tim’s big on communication. He’ll sit a kid down, ask what success looks like, then align that with team plans. Simple stuff, but you’d be shocked how often it’s missed,” Rogers told local radio.
Balance of formats
The itinerary mirrors senior tours—three ODIs up front, then two four-day matches. The thinking is straightforward: white-ball games reveal power and adaptability; longer contests test patience, fitness, and technique. Selection chief Graham Manou has hinted that performances across both styles will carry equal weight for World Cup spots.
Terminology corner, briefly: Youth Tests follow first-class laws—two innings, 90 overs a day—though the fixtures are not granted official first-class status. Meanwhile, Youth ODIs use standard 50-over regulations, minus DRS. These technicalities matter to statisticians; players just see chances to impress.
Potential headaches
Queensland’s late-September weather can be fickle, especially at Ian Healy Oval, tucked beside Albion Park Raceway. Ground staff are optimistic, yet contingency plans include shifting training to indoor nets under the old Gabba stands if spring storms roll in.
And then there’s the inevitable tug-of-war with domestic sides. Sheffield Shield starts 3 October; Big Bash pre-season runs through November. If the U19s progress deep into the World Cup, squads may need creative rostering. High-performance bosses across the states met last week to start those conversations—already, pace workloads are colour-coded on shared spreadsheets.
Big picture
Results matter, but CA’s priority is drafting a polished, resilient group for Zimbabwe and Namibia. Nielsen’s brief is crystal: establish roles, harden skills, and keep pathways open for the handful who could leap straight into senior cricket. Peake is already there; another three or four hope to join him before long.
As Nielsen put it during last month’s induction session, “If you’re good enough, it happens quick—ask Mitch Marsh, ask Pat Cummins. But most of you will take the scenic route, and that’s fine. Our job is to make sure the bus is comfortable and still points north.”
The kids laughed, grateful, then went back to their multifarious grips and stances, each dreaming of the next big step.
