Young in action on the field. Photo: @willyoung12/Instagram
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Meet Will Young, the New Zealand batsman who has India obsessed: the ‘cricket introvert’s indecision may have got him sent off, but his humility and charity work is winning hearts
- The New Zealand national cricket team’s batsman trended as ‘indecisive’ by among cricket fans after his slow reaction to a bad call in a recent game against India
- The 29-year-old ended up getting himself sent off, but he remains a proud Black Cap, loves to travel, and won’t even let shoulder surgery get him down
Will holding New Zealand’s Plunket Trophy after a win: the cricketer is one of the country’s top batsmen. Photo: @willyoung12/Instagram
He’s the Black Cap Indians are obsessed with. After an awkward call on the field in the first test between New Zealand and India in November, Will Young (not the singer, obvs) has caught the attention of the sporting world. But what else do we know about the young batsman? Well, there’s more to him that just cricket.
An internet sensation for all the wrong reasons
Young, 29, made global headlines in November 2021 after he took forever to decide he wanted to review a decision on day four of the first test between New Zealand and India in Kanpur. Young went out on a LBW (leg before wicket) call from the umpire, which turned out to be an incorrect decision. But by the time Young had reviewed it and decided to request a television review, the timer had gone down to zero and Young was out.
The move saw him make the trends list on Twitter with many calling him the “cricket introvert” and “indecisive”. He immediately sprang onto the Google trends list in India, with thousands of cricket fanatics wanting to know more about the young cricket star whose hesitation made him walk.
Charity work
He may have injured his shoulder right before the pandemic, but Young put his downtime to good use. Photo: @willyoung12/Instagram
Although 2019 was meant to be the year he made it big, a shoulder injury that needed surgery kept him off the field. But during his nine-month rehab, while he was initially concerned about his career and how his injury would affect his fitness, he decided to channel his energy into an initiative that gave back to the game.
He told Indian Express he set up The Will Young Cricket Trust to help children who can’t afford to play cricket. This includes financial support for equipment, coaching and attending cricket tournaments. He said the decision to launch the trust was a moment that has since made him proud.
Forever young
As he cements his name in the cricket world, his fans have become known for singing a signature tune just for him. According to Indian Express, the batsman is often cheered on by the crowds singing “Forever Young” to help motivate him.
He loves to travel
Young and his partner biked around the southern coastline of Portugal back in 2018. Photo: @willyoung12/Instagram
Although Young likes to keep his personal life private, it is clear he likes to travel. From jaunts around New Zealand to road trips in his trusted VW van. Some of the trips he’s documented on Insta so far include visits to France, Abu Dhabi, Portugal and Italy.
Proudly kiwi
The New Zealand national team are known as the Black Caps – no prizes for guessing why. Photo: @willyoung12/Instagram
Team New Zealand won the ICC World Test Championship in June 2021 and in a thank you message on Instagram, Young paid tribute to the fans back home who watched the games and supported the team throughout the tournament.
Young crept into the hearts of many when he described his reaction after getting the call to make the national squad for the first time in 2018. He said he called his parents, brother and partner, who all immediately booked flights so they could watch him in action.