West Australian wicketkeeper Simon Budge ready to start leaving international mark in brimming talent pool

One of Western Australia’s most promising cricketers has dismissed concerns over a dearth of talent in the country and says there are plenty of youngsters ready to form the next generation of Australia’s Test team.

And Simon Budge, who is set to tour India with Australia’s World Cup-winning under-19’s team this month, says players like fresh Australian debutant Cooper Connolly and Sheffield Shield regular Teague Wyllie are paving the way for WA’s best young batters.

Budge, a product of the inaugural Rod Marsh Wicketkeeping Academy intake, compiled 341 runs at 68.20 as part of a monster campaign for WA at last summer’s national champions which also included two centuries.

The 18-year-old also brushed aside fears Australia didn’t have enough in the cupboard to replace its Pat Cummins-led golden generation.

“We definitely won’t be short of talent around the country,” he told The West Australian.

“You know, you see other people in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, you know that they’re also certainly on the pathway to push those Aussie senior men’s teams in the future.

“And I would say, with the aging team now in the Australian setup it’s definitely not that it’s a bad thing. You know, they’ve earned their right to be there. But with the talent coming up now, I don’t think it’s a worry at all.

“You’ve got the Cooper Connolly’s, the Teague Wyllies. You got people from other states. I don’t think it’s very much of a worry for Australian cricket that when those Aussie men finally leave and retire, there will be a shortage of talent. That certainly won’t be there.”

Budge has enjoyed a rapid rise in recent campaigns, launching from his Nationals success to make a First Grade debut for Melville, and he credited the WACA’s forward thinking to honour late cricket legend Rod Marsh with a wicketkeeping academy for accelerating his evolution as a cricketer.

“You have your bowling and batting academies, clearly, but I think we, especially with the wicketkeeping one, it’s such a unique skill that it’s almost the one you need to have an academy for,” he said.

“The WACA taking the initiative and making an academy, you know, it’s just sort of showing the effort, and they want to have good keepers. And in WA, with the fast, bouncy tracks, we keepers have got to be at the top of our game.

“And now, to be able to represent my country is like a dream come true.”

Budge added he was looking forward to following in the footsteps of fellow West Aussies Connolly and Wylie, who have both represented their nations at the U19s level, with Connolly having made his senior International debut in a T20 against Scotland - and also face England - while Wylie has found Shield success.

“You look at them now, and they’re pushing for senior team selections. Look at Cooper Connolly now in Scotland, and he’s around that (T20) squad,” he said.

“You look at Teague blasting hundreds in Shield cricket, and it’s like, well, I’m on that pathway. I’m behind them.

“And it’s just a bit sort of surreal that just to put my name next to theirs.”