Indian origin cricketer Arjun Nair included in Cricket Australia's National Performance Squad

For the upcoming quadrangular one-day series to be held in Queensland, Cricket Australia has named an 18-man National Performance Squad and Indian-origin spinner Arjun Nair has been named in this team. The 18-year-old carrom ball spinner is a part of Australia's U19 squad and currently plays for the first class team of New South Wales (NSW).

Nair is famous for his variations and it has been previously reported that he developed his bowling technique after being inspired by YouTube videos of Sunil Narine and R Ashwin. In an interview to ESPN last year, Nair was quoted as saying that he had perfected nearly five variations of bowling and was, at the time, working on a sixth. The youngster has, noticeably, never relied on the technical grinding that Australian bowling normally showcases and instead, came up with a new and innovative way to teach himself which was considered a breakthrough.

The one-day series in Queensland will feature the National Performance Squad, India A, Australia A and South Africa A and it will mark Nair's debut in List A cricket. His NSW teammate and all-rounder Sean Abbott has also been named in the squad and is currently the most experienced player in the team.

Nair was seen as a very formidable bowler from quite a young age before he was first scouted and integrated into the NSW cricket team. He has previously worked under Neil D'Costa, a man famous for being a mentor to players like Michael Clarke Phillip Hughes and Mitchell Starc, who drove him to concentrate on developing his batting skills alongside his bowling variations.

Cricket Australia’s talent manager Greg Chappell had his own views on the team that was named. "Selection in this squad pays tribute to the hard work that these players have put in and acknowledges that performances are noted and rewarded in the current Pathway system,” he said.

The team will be coached and managed by Graeme Hick and Ryan Harris who seem very encouraged with the current roster of talent they have available. “Although the team's success won't be measured by a win-loss ratio, we still expect this side to be competitive and with the talent in the team, a victory along the way isn't out of the question,” Hick said.

According to him, the series will provide valuable experience for the youngsters and would help them in their pursuits of achieving glory at the national level. “Alongside the Australia A squad, these players are the future of Australian cricket and we are excited to see the progress they make in this important tournament,” he added.