New Wellington Firebirds coach Glenn Pocknall is showing a lot of faith in young local talent, with former under-19 World Cup star Jakob Bhula given the 16th and final contract for the 2019-20 season.
The right-handed Bhula debuted for the Firebirds in last season’s Ford Trophy one-day competition – and later in the season fell one run shy of a maiden hundred against Central Districts.
“Pockers (Firebirds coach Glenn Pocknall) told me at the start of June I was 50/50. So, I was waiting a couple of weeks quite nervous, waiting to know if I’d got that last contract and to find out on Thursday was pretty special,” Bhula said.
The 19-year-old has also spent six months at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London with the MCC’s Young Cricketers’ Programme.
“To be over there for six months and experience that - train every day, play every day as a job – it sort of gave me taste for it. (So) to get a contract and be able to do this again is pretty cool,” he said.
Bhula, who also bowls off-spin, is the latest young Wellingtonian to add his name to next year’s Firebirds roster.
He joins the likes of fellow Cricket Wellington pathway players Lauchie Johns, Ben Sears, Andrew Fletcher and Rachin Ravindra in the squad.
“We had probably 25 players within the Wellington region that we could have picked, which is a great sign of our depth and where we’re heading towards the future”, said Pocknall.
“Building the depth within the Wellington region is one of our goals as an organisation, so it’s really pleasing to be able to do that and reward guys for that hard work and success”
Both Ravindra and Bhula know each other’s games pretty well, having shared more than two hours at the crease in a record opening stand of 245 against Kenya at the U19 World Cup, where Bhula finished with 180, a record individual score.
“That was a special day watching him get 180, which was one of the best innings I’ve ever seen,” said Ravindra
“(We) get on really well. We’ve batted a lot together, and he really deserves it. He’s a player with a lot of skill, a lot of talent, and hopefully he can go all the way. I’m sure he will.”
Pocknall also heaped some high praise on his latest recruit, and wasn’t shy of tipping some higher honours.
“In four years is he going to be in the World Cup? Is he going to be starring for New Zealand in the final? That’s what we hope and that’s what we see in him. We see a huge amount of ability in him in the future.”
Bhula is currently recovering from a surgery on his hip, but is hopeful he’ll be fit by the time the squad assembles in September.
Wellington Firebirds final squad:
Hamish Bennett, Jakob Bhula, Tom Blundell (central NZC contract), Michael Bracewell, Fraser Colson, Devon Conway, Andrew Fletcher, Jamie Gibson, Lauchie Johns, Iain McPeake, Jimmy Neesham (central NZC contract), Ollie Newton, Malcolm Nofal, Jeetan Patel, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Logan van Beek, Peter Younghusband.
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