Under 19 squad for Sri Lanka named

Four players with state contracts will feature in Australia's Under 19 squad that will tour Sri Lanka next month.

Victoria and Melbourne Renegades duo Will Sutherland and Zak Evans, Tasmania's Jarrod Freeman and New South Wales' keeper Baxter Holt were all named in a 14-player squad for the four-match tour of the island nation in January.

The quartet all represented Australia at the Under 19 World Cup in New Zealand earlier this year and will enter the tour fresh from strong performances at the recently completed U19 National Championships in Adelaide.

Holt scored an impressive 333 runs at 55 during the Championships, Sutherland made 299 runs at an average of 43, while Evans claimed 13 wickets at 16.

Also included in the squad is New South Wales batsman Oliver Davies, who smashed six sixes in an over and 17 for the match while blasting a double century against Northern Territory.

In total, five of the top 10 run-scorers at the Championships feature in the squad, plus three of the leading eight wicket-takers.

Tasmania captain Keegan Oates won the player-of-the-tournament award and finished as the leading run scorer with a total of 430 runs at 71.

Oates passed 50 on four occasions for his state and three of those innings led to scores of more than 90, with his unbeaten 124 against Western Australia the highlight.

In being named player of the tournament, Oates joins a list of Australian greats - that includes former stars Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist and Ian Healy, plus current players Travis Head, Usman Khawaja and Billy Stanlake – to have previously won the honour.

He also became the second Tasmanian after Matthew Wade to be named the tournament’s standout player.

Despite the accolades, Oates remains level-headed and is looking forward to representing his country for the first time in Sri Lanka.

"This is the first Australian team I've made," Oates said.

"I was pretty nervous (waiting).

"They finally called my name out and it was pure relief. I went up there and shook (coach) Ryan Harris' hand. I called my family back home later that night, and they were really happy."

Oates is one of two Tasmanian players in the Australia U19 squad, with good friend and Lindisfarne Cricket Club teammate Freeman also named for the four-match series in Sri Lanka.

"He's a really good mate of mine and I'm not surprised he made it. He's a great cricketer an even better person," Oates said.

"’Frog’ and I are pretty close, we've played together since the Under 15s.

"I'm lucky to have another Tassie boy with me in the squad, I'm looking forward to touring with him."

Image Id: 3190DCA12F614BBAAD9CD2942DA041B0 Image Caption: Lloyd Pope in action for SA in Adelaide

Three players weren't considered for the Sri Lanka tour, with South Australian spinner and the leading wicket taker at the championships Lloyd Pope and New South Wales duo Jack Edwards and Jason Sangha all remaining in Australia due to domestic duties for their state and Big Bash teams.

The Australian and Sri Lankan U19 teams will play three ODIs at P Sara Oval in Colombo at the start of January, followed by a three-day game at the SSC Ground in Colombo between January 10 and 12.

Australia Under 19 squad:

Iain Carlisle – New South Wales

Oliver Davies – New South Wales

Zak Evans – Victoria

Sam Fanning – New South Wales

Jarrod Freeman – Tasmania

Lachlan Hearne – New South Wales

Baxter Holt – New South Wales

Corey Hunter – Queensland

Josh Kann – Queensland

Liam Marshall – New South Wales

Keegan Oates – Tasmania

Tanveer Sangha – New South Wales

Will Sutherland – Victoria

Matthew Willans - Queensland

Coach: Ryan Harris

Assistant Coach: Wade Townsend