Jimmy White says he is 'flabbergasted' as grandson Ralphie Albert earns England Under-19 call-up

Snooker great Jimmy White said he was "flabbergasted" after his 17-year-old grandson, Ralphie Albert, received a call-up to the England Under-19 squad following a string of standout performances for Surrey and England age-group sides.

Albert made an immediate impression with the bat and ball this summer, scoring 96 on his Metro Bank One-Day Cup debut for Surrey against Nottinghamshire and taking ten wickets in a match for England Under-19s in a fixture against India. He has been selected again for the closing Under-19 internationals of the summer, scheduled against Ireland and Bangladesh in September.

White, a six-time World Championship runner-up who remains one of Britain’s best-known sportsmen after more than four decades on the snooker circuit, praised his grandson’s dedication and temperament in comments published by The Times. "Sometimes I just go wow! I can't quite believe it. I'm flabbergasted, really. I'm so proud of him," White said, adding that Albert has been a committed worker since childhood.

"He's such a hard worker. Even in lockdown, he was working away on his bowling," White said. "I'm absolutely blown away, really. Ralphie's so dedicated; practises hard and gives it his all. The most precious thing for me is that he enjoys it and that it's about the cricket, not what he can get out of cricket. Even if he has a great day, he's so level. He's proper professional."

White also recounted how Albert began playing the sport at a young age, taking part in charity matches in Esher when family members were involved. Ralphie's father, Jon Albert, White's son-in-law, was described by White as a very good cricketer, and the younger Albert played "mini-cricket" from an early age.

The England Under-19 call-up follows a breakthrough period for the teenager. His near-century in the One-Day Cup demonstrated batting capability at county level, while the ten-wicket haul in an age-group match against India highlighted his left-arm spin as a weapon for England's youth selectors.

White said he follows Ralphie's progress closely, even when on tour himself. "As you know, you can watch anything on the streams these days, so I watch him all the time. I was in China last week for a tournament, trying to show the locals the stream, telling them, 'It's my grandson,' but I think it all got lost a bit in translation,'" he told The Times.

England Under-19 fixtures provide a pathway to higher honours for young players, and selectors have frequently used age-group internationals to evaluate talent for future county and national squads. Albert is expected to feature in the remaining Under-19 internationals in September as he continues to build his profile at both county and international youth level.

White, 63, continues to compete professionally on the snooker tour while publicly following his grandson's cricketing rise.