Vanuatu Cricket is hoping the success of their senior side will rub off on the next generation at the East Asia Pacific Under 19 Championships on the Sunshine Coast.
From Monday, Vanuatu will contest a Tri-Series against Samoa and Fiji, with the winner advancing to the grand final against defending champions Papua New Guinea.
17 year old prodigy Nalin Nipiko will be a central figure to Vanuatu's chances but High Performance Manager Peter Wooden says they don't want lump all their hopes on one person.
"He's got a big responsibility there as captain, opening bowler and top order batsmen so one of the key things we're trying to do is work around Nalin and not trying to put too much pressure on him to perform. He's just such a natural talent as well and he's averaging over 50 with the national team. We've got really specific plans for him in this tournament and if the boys can support him we're confident he will do really well for us."
The winning team overall will qualify for next year's Under 19 World Cup in Dubai.
