Anderson named new event ambassador for U-19 World Cup 2018

The 12th edition of the 16-team tournament and the third in New Zealand, which will run from January 13 to February 3 across four cities and seven venues, is a platform to inspire the next generation of cricketers and fans.

"It is extremely exciting to be involved again in the U19 World Cup. I played two of them - it is the first stepping stone to playing international cricket," said Anderson, who played in the U-19 World Cups of 2008 (in Malaysia) and 2010 (in New Zealand).

"You go from playing domestic cricket to playing international cricket it's a big step but it's a step that is necessary.To have it in our backyard is great. We are going to see players who people may not know now but who in the years to come will become household names. In 2010, it was my first snippet of playing international cricket at home."

Anderson, who scored 324 runs in 10 matches with four half-centuries across the two editions of the tournament, has been representing New Zealand regularly in all three formats of the game.