Uppal points to Blues priority

On the eve of beginning his first season as full-time domestic cricketer, NSW Blues youngster Param Uppal is already experiencing the challenges that come with being a top-level allrounder.

Uppal, born in India before moving to Australia when he was four years old, is a dashing right-handed batsman and wily off-spinner who played in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup and made his JLT Sheffield Shield debut for the Blues last summer.

In true Generation Z fashion, Uppal danced down the wicket to Victoria's Glenn Maxwell and launched his fellow allrounder over long-on for six to record his maiden runs in first-class cricket.

His batting is complemented by his off-spinners, and while he hasn't taken a wicket in two first-class matches for the Blues or six List A games for the Cricket Australia XI in last year's JLT One-Day Cup (albeit bowling only five overs), he's been encouraged to continue to develop that facet of his game by NSW's coaching staff.

It's a task he relishes, and finding the time to dedicate enough practice to both batting and bowling disciplines is one of the 19-year-old's priorities this summer.

"I'm still learning that," Uppal told cricket.com.au. "That's one of my goals.

"It’s about spending as much time on my bowling as well. I think that's really important.

"The coach has really reinforced it as well, spending 50/50 on it.

"Allrounder is a very important job, you're in the middle (batting) and bowling a fair few overs as well.

"Being able to manage your time well, being able to focus on training sessions and being able to give as much time and detail to both aspects is important."

Fortunately for Uppal he has a host of senior players at the Blues he can learn from.

Uppal can look to former skipper Moises Henriques, the 31-year-old who is set to start his 14th season as the state's premier allrounder.

Captain Peter Nevill diligently spreads his time between glovework and batting, which has seen him play at the highest level and score nine first-class hundreds.

And in spin bowlers, Uppal has the best in the country and another that's played nine Tests and taken 265 first-class wickets in Nathan Lyon and Steve O'Keefe, respectively.

Uppal's Blues debut coincided with O'Keefe taking 8-77 at Junction Oval, and the rookie was equal parts allrounder and sponge in that match as he soaked up everything the veteran left-arm spinner was doing.

"It was really good to learn, to see how he (O'Keefe) goes about it, how his field settings are really important and how it really affects a batsman's mind," Uppal said.

And it's not just in the middle where Uppal is learning from his senior spin statesmen, who have been passing on their wisdom in the nets at Blues training sessions.

"Tactically, bowling to different batsmen and the different conditions," Uppal said when asked what information the likes of O'Keefe and Lyon have passed on.

"Today we had ragging wickets (at the SCG), so you bowl a lot different, a lot quicker on these wickets and you set squarer fields so you want them to hit straighter.

"I've been gaining as much knowledge from them. They've been all around the world."