BECOMING the only Tasmanian selected in Australia’s under-16 representative cricket squad is the latest chapter in an impressive sporting story for Launceston all-rounder James Curran.

The 15-year-old, who was the standout performer in the Tasmanian team at the School Sport Australia 15-and-under national championships in Brisbane this week, does not limit his sporting endeavours to cricket.

As a runner, Curran has claimed state secondary school cross-country titles and an under-age 1500-metre record on the track.

The South Esk swimmer holds several backstroke records.

And the midfielder helped his Launceston Football Club team win back-to-back under-age premierships, picking up a best-on-ground performance along the way.

A generation after Brad Green had to choose between pursuing elite football, soccer or cricket, another Launceston Church Grammar student appears to be faced with a similar dilemma.

‘‘Me and the PE teacher at the school do get along quite well,’’ Curran joked after his latest sporting acknowledgement.

‘‘I’m pretty busy most of the time with sport. I don’t get much time off.

‘‘I just have to try and prioritise all the time. Like it was all about cricket going into this carnival so I prioritised that but now I’ve got footy season coming up and swimming’s back on tomorrow.’’

More than 150 players took part in the SSA competition which is the entry point for Cricket Australia’s newly-revamped talent pathway.

In six matches Curran took seven wickets with his right-arm leg-spin at 22.29 and an economy rate of 3.90.

Of the 17 players from the championships selected in a national representative squad to compete at the under-17 national championships in September as well as a youth series against Pakistan in Dubai, Curran was one of four named on stand-by.

‘‘I still have to train as if I’m going to go, just in case I do end up going,’’ he said.

‘‘It would mean the world to me to get that experience.

‘‘I was really not expecting it. They announced the team during the closing ceremony and I had not thought about it until then and was just really surprised.

‘‘The whole tournament was a big learning curve for me. I was just hoping to do well and improve my game.’’

Tasmanian coach Clinton Reid said the Launceston Cricket Club bowler deserved the national recognition.

‘‘He had a really good week and was identified by the national talent managers that were watching the games as being someone of interest,’’ Reid said.

‘‘We’ve had James in the state under-15s for the last year and he’s a member of Cricket Tasmania’s youth high performance squad so we’ve known about him for a while, but it’s good that he’s had recognition on the national stage.’’

AUSTRALIA UNDER-16 SQUAD: Liam Scott (NSW), Oliver Davies (NSW), Lawson Eva (NSW), Liam Marshall (NSW), Tyson Lee (NSW), Mackenzie Harvey (VIC, c), Zane Keighran (VIC), Connor Smith (WA), Jordan Clark (WA), Damien Burrage (WA), Connor McFadyen (QLD), Connor Sully (QLD), Joshua Hoffman (SA).

 STANDBY PLAYERS: Angus Judd (SA), James Curran (TAS), Bailen Clarke (VIC), Matthew Watt (VIC).