Cricket: Border is youth coach

Allan Border, the former Australia Test captain, has been appointed as the under-19 national team coach for next year's Youth World Cup in South Africa, the Australian Cricket Board announced yesterday.

Border, who played a record 156 Tests for his country before retiring from the international arena in 1994, will take charge of a 21-member squad, which will start as one of the favourites for the tournament.

The ACB's chief executive officer, Malcolm Speed, said in a statement that Border will be assisted by two other former Test players, the outstanding fast bowler Dennis Lillee and Rodney Marsh, Australia's wicketkeeper from the same era as Lillee.

The four-week Youth World Cup will take place in January and February next year.

Border retired from first-class cricket in March 1996 after a lengthy career with Queensland in the domestic Sheffield Shield.