'Fearless' O'Connor in discussion for cricket world cup selection

But the past week at the under-19 national championships has perhaps marked the all-rounder out as one of Australia's.

A 63-ball ton en route to 114 not out off 70 started his campaign in Albury with a bang and was followed by a stellar 71 off 80 batting at three against Queensland - a side who have been head and shoulders the best at the tournament.

Four wickets (one in every match) and a run-out have established his all-rounder credentials and the Tigers' coach Andrew Gale believed the 17-year-old's performances had elevated him as a chance for higher honours.

With the 2024 South Africa under-19 men's world cup beginning in January, the national championships have played the role of an audition stage for Australia's brightest talents to put their name forward for selection.

Gale said O'Connor had done that superbly.

"I'm sure his name will be getting mentioned that is for sure. I think with it being in South Africa as well now, it will suit his style of cricket. I certainly think he'll be in the mix for the world cup," he said.

Gale, who also coaches the Tasmanian Tigers' second XI - a side which O'Connor debuted in last month following strong form with ball in hand - expressed his delight in the Launceston Grammar student's approach to cricket.

"He's fearless. That's what impresses me most, he takes the game on, he always takes the positive option and he's a natural ball-striker," he said.

"Some of the shots he played [against Queensland] were breath-taking really. He's a genuine all-rounder hence why he was batting three yesterday."

While Gale, a former first-class cricketer with Yorkshire in County Cricket, had already witnessed O'Connor's talent during his second XI debut half-century, the Briton said his efforts on the Victoria/NSW border have been even more so.

"He's a winner. You can see by the way that he plays his cricket and he always has an impact on games," he said.

The fast-bowling right-hander's efforts have been just an element of Tasmania's largely impressive performances at the national event which resulted in two wins from four, despite playing against strong teams such as Western Australia, Victoria Country and Queensland.

Gale said the WA game aside, the young Tigers had played "pretty well" to date.

"The lads have worked particularly hard ... they've got a clear vision and game plan that we've put together about how we want to play and what our identity is," he said.

He detailed that their focus has been on playing brave in how they approached their games on the biggest stage and said they had done so effectively.

Should O'Connor not receive a plane ticket to one of South Africa's three capital cities, he would still be eligible for the under-19s nationals next time around and Gale said the Tigers had plenty of plans in place to aid his development, with senior domestic cricket firmly on the horizon.

"In the short-term, we're just trying to get him as much exposure to new experiences as we can, because that's how you learn," he said.

"He's going to fail along the way at times, but he'll learn from his mistakes and then long-term obviously we see him as a future Tasmanian cricketer if we can get him in that fold.

"He's started to perform well in second-team cricket and I'm sure he'll put some numbers on the board to push for full Tasmanian honours."

The under-19 carnival's finals go for two days beginning Wednesday, with Tasmania's first match against South Australia.