Vanuatu Cricket is hoping an investment in youth will pay off for their senior team in the next few years.
The Melanesian country is one of three competing at this week's East Asia Pacific Under 17 Championship in Lautoka, along with Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
The country's High Performance Development Manager and National Men's Coach, Peter Wooden, says they've spent a considerable amount of time working with young players in Vanuatu in an effort to build for the future.
He says if you're good enough you're old enough, a theory illustrated by one of the Under 17 reps, 12 year old Stephen Sandy.
"He's someone that we've actually identified and we have him working now with the national team as a net bowler. Obviously we have a concern sometimes, when some of those players hit a straight drive but nothing seems to phase the young lad and he's an extremely talented off-spinner with a beautiful action. My expectation is in the next two to three years he will be pushing for selection in the national side."
