West Australian U19s and pathways coach Brian Shields says ‘conveyor belt’ of cricket talent rolling on

Any rival cricket fan hoping WA’s golden run is nearing an end could be left bitterly disappointed; with the talent pool becoming so deep, one talent coach says the state may have a dilemma fitting everyone in. West Australian U19s and pathways coach Brian Shields has been at the forefront of nurturing the state’s best-emerging stars for the last seven years. And he described the current situation as a conveyor belt of “exciting” talent. “When any of these young guys come through the pathways and if they’re lucky enough to get contracts - the pool of talent is very deep - and these young guys are coming in and impressing senior guys,” he told The West Australian. “It seems to be a pretty exciting conveyor belt of talent coming through, and I think a lot of it comes down to the overall culture of WA cricket. “The Premier clubs are doing a great job, and the pathways are doing pretty well, and these players just keep coming. “There seems to be a lot of pace bowlers, I don’t know where they are going to fit them all, and we’ve got a lot of good bats coming. “I don’t think there’s any shortage of talent coming through across Australia.” West Australian fans got a first-hand look at exciting speedster Mahli Beardman when he broke into the Perth Scorchers’ elite fast-bowling cartel, having already made a One-Day debut last summer after being named man of the match in a winning U19s World Cup final. The 19-year-old clocked speeds around the 140km/h mark, and some state teammates have gone on record stating he can be scary to face. Meanwhile, Cooper Connolly rocketed onto the international stage, earning a baggy green as well as adding to his one-day international appearances. Rockingham-Mandurah product Corey Wasley earned his first state deal for the 2024/25 season after making headlines as a junior. He plunderedd runs at the U15s and U16s level to earn a First Grade spot, and while he broke his finger in the opening clash of the U19s World Cup, he does have a WA second XI double hundred on his resume. On WA’s radar for next year’s contract list, keeper Simon Budge and all-rounder Lincoln Hobbs performed admirably on an U19s tour of India. Budge has already been earmarked for his leadership as much as his talent with the gloves and bat, showcased as he led WA to U19s glory at the national championships, while Shields said Hobbs is also reaching speeds of close to 140km/h to complement batting in the middle-order. Shields added they are even keeping a close eye on a couple of talented 16-year-olds. Scarborough’s Zed Hollick was named the best player in Premier Cricket Second Grade last season at 15, the left-hander racking up so many runs he was awarded a top grade debut. Shields also identified Will Malajczuk from Subiaco-Floreat as one to watch. “We’re (WA) definitely punching above our weight per population,” he said. “New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, you see each year there’s some very exciting talent, but they’ve got a lot of population to pull from. “But I feel like our system here seems to hold onto (players) and keep them developing. Without bagging out the East Coast, there are a lot of really good players you don’t even know where they go once they finish 19s; they just get lost to grade cricket or have to move interstate. “In WA, with our academies, players who come out of 19s (and don’t get state deals straight away), from 19 to 26, they train on and become like a senior academy. They form a big core group of second XI prospects and top-up fast bowlers, we get a lot of quality training into them.”