Steinhoff Maties cricketer in SA U/19 team : 2016-06-08
After coming close a few times, Steinhoff Maties cricketer Ricardo Vasconcelos will finally get the opportunity to represent his country at U/19 level.
Vasconcelos, a former learner of St Stithians College in Johannesburg, is a first-year student at Stellenbosch University and will play for the South African U/19 team against Sri Lanka.
“I did not expect to be selected but it was most certainly a goal that I’ve been working towards for a while now. I’ve been in the 25-man squad for four tours before this one so it’s really great to finally be selected and get the opportunity to represent my country.”
Vasconcelos studies BComm Management Sciences and he admits that finding time for both his studies and his sport is a challenge.
“Finding the balance between playing cricket and studying has been very tough for me personally and I’m still trying to figure out the best way to do this.”
As a first-year Vasconcelos could play a big role in the future of Maties Cricket, especially when one takes into consideration that various senior players had moved on at the end of the previous season.
He enjoys playing for Maties and says it is like nothing he’s ever experienced before.
“Since the first day of training I’ve always felt welcome and fully supported by all the players as well as all the coaches and that’s why I’ve enjoyed it so much so far.”
Maties Cricket coach Andrew Wylie added: “Ricardo has obviously shown lots of potential and has a very good reputation. He is technically well organised and can certainly become a key performer for us over the next few years. He is mature enough to adapt his game to different conditions and certainly appears very driven to do well in the sport. It will be crucial that he learns early to balance his academics and cricketing responsibilities.”
The SA U/19 team leaves for Colombo on 17 June.