Cosgrove earns Boof's backing

[stan]

From cricket Australia Website 27th Jan

South Australia captain Darren Lehmann has claimed young Redbacks teammate Mark Cosgrove has the ability to win next year's World Cup for Australia and should be considered for selection.

"He has really improved this year and he is the guy they [selectors] need to really look after and play in the next couple of one-day series to get him to the World Cup," Lehmann told The Advertiser.

Cosgrove, last season's Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year, displayed his power and finesse smashing 121 runs in the Redbacks' crushing win over the Warriors in their ING Cup clash at the WACA on Wednesday.

Lehmann and Cosgrove shared a punishing 161-run partnership in the win over Western Australia and the Redbacks' captain rated the youngster's century one of the best 100s he has witnessed at the WACA ground.

"He is a bloke who can win a World Cup for Australia - he is that good," Lehmann said of the dynamic young batsman.

"They need to get him to the World Cup really quickly. "If they can get him in the system early enough they can help him along with his weight, fitness, bowling and fielding. He is that good a player ... hits the ball as clean as I have ever seen anyone hit them."

Cosgrove, who drew unwanted media attention at the beginning of the season because of an excessive weight issue, has worked overtime to get fit this season and the extra focus has shown in his form.

"He has been one, two, three or four for us this year," Lehmann said. "We just keep chucking him anywhere and he keeps fixing the problem for us."

"He is in that good a knick, he is a young bloke who gives it a whack and can hit any sort of bowling around the park."

"We have got to make sure we get him in there [The World Cup squad] and look after him."