Oscar Jackson was 11 when cricket truly captivated him. A day out at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington in the summer of 2015 was his ticket to a "lifelong dream." Nine years later, he is captaining New Zealand at the Under-19 men's World Cup, hoping to win the tournament, something no other Kiwi team has managed to.
"Watching Martin Guptill wallop that double-hundred in a World Cup game against West Indies sparked something." Jackson reminisces with ESPNcricinfo. "The way he was hitting them out of the park, it was an amazing moment to be a part of, especially watching from the stands. It wasn't my first memory of the game but quite an experience nonetheless."
How Brendon McCullum and Co won the hearts of an entire country had several youngsters, including Jackson, take to the game. Until then, he had grown up playing both cricket and rugby. When Jackson made his school's first XI two years down the line, he eventually decided to pursue cricket "more passionately" than any other sport.
"It was around then I realised I want to push as hard as I can for as long as I can with cricket," Jackson says.
In 2017, he had his first taste of cricket outside New Zealand when he toured India with the Hutt Hawks Cricket Club. He was part of the group alongside current New Zealand star Rachin Ravindra. Jackson remembers his time in India fondly, for he brought up his first hundred in any form of cricket on that tour, in Anantapur, a town 200 kilometres north of Bengaluru.
"Went over to India with Ravi [Krishnamurthy, Rachin's father] at the end of 2017 and it was an awesome experience," Jackson says. "To get the opportunity was cool. It's the kind of cricket I had never experienced before. To play against quality spin on those pitches was tough and scoring my first-ever hundred was special.
"A lot of guys, me included, are grateful for Ravi for taking us on those trips. I haven't come back to India since, but I'm really looking forward to another opportunity whenever it happens."
On Tuesday, he will play against India in a Super Six game at the ongoing Under-19 World Cup. New Zealand will have one other game against Ireland. They will likely need to win both to make the semi-final. Jackson himself has had a middling tournament, scoring a match-winning 75 against Nepal followed by scores of 26 and 12. He has also picked up three wickets with his seam-ups.
Before coming on tour, he sought out Ravindra for some advice. "He's an unbelievable guy," Jackson says. "He's super nice and shows genuine interest towards the youngsters coming up in Wellington. He's very relatable. To see him make the step up from Under-19s to Wellington to the Black Caps side is very cool. He's humble and grounded, is always looking out for the youngsters, so to be able to learn off him has been awesome."
Jackson is equally passionate about his academic pursuits. He's currently pursuing a bachelor's in criminal justice from the University of Canterbury. "I love it," he says. "It keeps me motivated in terms of balancing cricket and university. It's tough. I play in two different cities. I've been fortunate to have two supportive clubs. So balancing studies, cricket, social life, friends and family - it's tough but I am working towards getting the balance right."
What is his degree all about? "It's sort of looking into preventing crime," Jackson explains. "Looking to rehab those who have committed a crime, how you can help reintegrate them back into society after serving time in prison. It's a mix of policing, studying law, and psychology. It's a nice little mix of all those things put together. To have those in one degree is pretty cool."
Jackson plays for the Onslow Cricket Club in Wellington from November to January and represents Burnside West Cricket Club in Christchurch from February to April. Shuttling between two cities has given him the best of both worlds. More importantly, it has made him a "true allrounder."
"At home, I was pretty useless," he laughs. "Everything was done for me. You put the dish in the sink, and you see the dishwasher has done the job. You put the clothes into the washing basket and the next day the clothes come clean. So moving to Christchurch for university was a step up in terms of life skills and self-management which I took time to adjust to.
"It wasn't that hard, I wasn't sad or anything, but yeah it was a bit of a wake-up call for me to take more ownership. That has really helped me in all facets of my life, including cricket."
Jackson also looks up to Kane Williamson for his calm demeanour, and range of strokes and he hopes to be able to discuss with the New Zealand white-ball captain one day. He likes building an innings, and lives by the mantra of "batting positively without being reckless."
"I'd like to think I am naturally aggressive," he says. "[I] take some time at the start, but look to also put pressure back on the bowlers by being dominant. I like to show good intent."
Intent the Finn Allen [another Wellington mate] way?
"Nah, nah, definitely not that level," he laughs. "He's had remarkable success lately. His ball-striking is second to none. I'm not quite that aggressive but yes, I do give myself a chance to get in initially, play percentage shots and take it from there."
As we wind up the chat, Jackson has one simple request. Of wanting to show his gratitude and acknowledge the contributions of some key personnel in his life.
"Ivan Tissera my one-on-one coach from childhood, has been a great mentor for me who has helped me technically and mentally," Jackson says. "Our school's first XI coach Duncan Murray was an unbelievable leader and role model on and off the field. They've shaped me to become the cricketer I am."
For now, he's happy to indulge in everything - fun and serious - that teenagers do. Including cooking, playing golf and, of course, cricket.
"Golf is a nice way to reset," he says. "I don't play it too seriously, but I put it with my mates. I love spending time outdoors, never been those indoor guys on the PlayStation or Xbox. That's not for me. I'd rather be outdoors, playing ball, kicking or hitting the ball or teeing off. Being active outdoors keeps me going."