REAPING REWARDS: Christian Leopard is off to the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh via Auckland, Dubai today. PHOTO/Duncan Brown
ANYONE can dream about success when it comes to sport but not everyone is prepared to put in the hard yards to actually realise that mental state of euphoria.
Hawke's Bay cricketer Christian Leopard is that someone who has transcended that phase of mental rehearsal to enter the realm of tangible returns after daring to dream when he was a youngster.
The 18-year-old catches a flight to Dhaka, via Auckland and Dubai, today as a member of the New Zealand Under-19 team to compete at the age-group ICC World Cup in Bangladesh from January 27, culminating with the final on February 14.
"I'm very stoked," says Leopard, while holidaying with his proud parents, Lesley and Kevin, at Tologa Bay, 45km northeast of Gisborne.
For someone who monotonously hit a ball in a sock as a 5-year-old, after his father placed two stump marks on a wall in a shed at their Napier home to hone his skills, the ticket to the U19 World Cup is a timely affirmation that he's on the right track to one day pulling on a Black Cap for his country.
The allrounder received his U19 cap with 14 other teammates from Sir Richard Hadlee at the conclusion of the National Provincial Under-19 Tournament at Lincoln, near Christchurch, on December 23.
Just as he received vaccinations and inoculations, as well as dutifully absorbed the briefing about what not to eat and drink in the subcontinent nation soon after the euphoria of selection at Lincoln, Leopard has taken in his stride the need to get up to speed on what it takes to survive on an unforgiving wicket.
"We've been told spin will be hard to play there so I've been facing spin in the nets a lot," says the teenager who has had throw downs in the nets from Devon Hotel Central Districts Stags, including Black Caps bowler Ben Wheeler.
Leopard, who has only travelled abroad to Australia in 2013 as a middle-distance runner in athletics, will be based in Dhaka with the Bob Carter and Paul Wiseman-coached New Zealand team, although they will play in four cities in what could be termed a pool of death.
The Josh Finnie-captained side are in pool D with India, Australia and Nepal but the Ockers have withdrawn amid security concerns although they will play in the Dubai warm-up series.
"I know Nepal made it into the final when Kane Williamson was captain and India will be playing four spinners," he says, not needing to state the tenacity of the Aussies.
The Complete Flooring Napier Technical Old Boys (NTOB) player believes his all-round abilities got him into the equation of the limited-overs tourney.
The right-armer, who can whip a ball up to 125km/h as a new-ball bowler or at first change, suspects he was the second highest wicket taker at the provincial U19 tourney that is considered a pivotal stepping stone to the ultimate level of cricket.
Leopard bats at No 5 for the CD age-group team but is equally comfortable at No 6, as allrounders should be. He carved up 75 runs as his best knock at the Provincial U19 tourney.
"I'm not sure what the coaches are thinking but, hopefully, they will have me in the starting side," he says, mindful he has many other stepping stones to tread if he is to realise bigger dreams.
"I just have to be patient and keep working hard," says the bloke who works as an engineer for Hustler Equipment, which makes farming implements in Napier.
Now that's where one has to separate Leopard from the dreamers of the world.
The former Napier Boys' High School pupil, who used to be a respectable runner, is all about cricket now and isn't shy to do the hard yards.
He worked with Stags coach Heinrich Malan all through winter, starting work at 6am but slipping away for a couple of hours in between to make the elite s trainings before driving back to complete his work commitments.
"After work I would do gym and running training so sometimes I train three times a day with strength and conditioning."
His NTOB coach, Dale Smidt, gives a fair assessment of his dedication.
"I believe he is the hardest working cricketer in Hawke's Bay, fullstop," says Smidt. "If he's not in the gym then he's running or bowling and batting in the nets."
He believes the former St Patrick's School pupil is one of the youngest in the cup team, albeit his last one with some of the others returning for their second.
"No doubt Christian will be in the first-class [CD] team in a the next two years."
Smidt says he was unlucky in the NTOB prem club stint where he had eight bats, run out twice and finding himself at the wrong end of a few lbw decisions.
"Tech won't see him much because he'll end up playing at a higher level but we're expecting him back for the last six weeks or so of this season."
In 2011, at the annual Riverbend Cricket Camp in the Bay, HB Cricket Association chief executive Craig Findlay quoted his stalwart father, Harry Findlay, as saying: "Harry's seen Jesse and Kane and he reckons this kid is much better then those two were at his age."
Leopard, who grappled with shin splints before the prem men's season started, has his feet planted firmly on the ground.
He did confess, though: "I was thinking about the World Cup all throughout winter. I just wanted it so bad."
CD Stags allrounder Josh Clarkson and fellow Nelson player Felix Murray are joining Leopard in the campaign and also will play warm-up games in a tri-series against Australia and Pakistan in Dubai next week to acclimatise.
On arrival at Dhaka, the team will warm up against Sri Lanka and Afghanistan before playing their first round-robin match against Nepal on January 28.
Taranaki's Jordie Barrett, from the CD region, is a non-travelling reserve.
Only the top qualifiers will progress to the quarterfinals of the main draw while others will compete in the plate competition.
The main draw final will be played on February 14.
NZ squad: Josh Finnie (c, Otago), Finnley Allen (Auckland), Josh Clarkson (Central Districts), Zak Gibson (Northern Districts), Christian Leopard (CD), Felix Murray (CD), Aniket Parikh (Auckland), Dale Phillips (Auckland), Glenn Phillips (Auckland), Rachin Ravindra (Wellington), Talor Scott (Canterbury), Ben Sears (Wellington), Nathan Smith (Otago), Daniel Stanley (Canterbury), Ross ter Braak (Auckland).
Coach: Bob Carter.
Ast coach: Paul Wiseman.