Sports Report
HARARE: The ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup will be jointly hosted by Namibia and Zimbabwe from 15 January to 6 February, with Asian champions Pakistan U19 set to begin their campaign on 16 January.
Pakistan U19 will face England in their opening Group ‘C’ match on Friday at the Takashinga Sports Club, Harare. The green shirts enter the tournament with strong momentum after winning the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup in Dubai, where they defeated India by a massive 191 runs, and clinching the tri-series in Zimbabwe by beating the hosts by nine wickets.
Two-time champions of the ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup (2004 and 2006), Pakistan will be aiming to secure a historic third title.
Placed in Group ‘C’ of the 16-team tournament, Pakistan will take on Scotland in their second group match on 19 January, followed by their final group fixture against hosts Zimbabwe on 22 January. All three group matches will be played at the Takashinga Sports Club, Harare.
The Super Six stage will be held in Bulawayo and Harare from 24 January to 1 February. The semi-finals are scheduled for 3 and 4 February, while the final will be played at the Harare Sports Club on 6 February.
In preparation for the mega event, Pakistan U19 participated in training sessions and two warm-up matches. Their first warm-up against Bangladesh was washed out due to rain, while Pakistan registered a convincing 69-run victory over USA in the second warm-up at the Bulawayo Athletic Club.
The 15-member squad will be led by Farhan Yousaf. Among the squad, only right-arm fast bowler Ali Raza featured in the 2024 edition of the tournament, where he took nine wickets and helped Pakistan reach the semi-finals.
Pakistan U19 will travel to Harare later today and hold a training session on Thursday ahead of their opening match.
Speaking to PCB Digital, captain Farhan Yousaf said the team was well-prepared and confident after spending the last six months together under the same support staff.
“We have prepared well for the mega event. The players share a strong bond, and the Asia Cup, tri-series and warm-up matches have helped us understand the conditions. We are now all set to perform well in the World Cup,” he said.
Pakistan U19 Squad:
Farhan Yousaf (captain), Usman Khan (vice-captain), Abdul Subhan, Ahmed Hussain, Ali Hasan Baloch, Ali Raza, Daniyal Ali Khan, Hamza Zahoor (wk), Huzaifa Ahsan, Momin Qamar, Mohammad Sayyam, Mohammad Shayan (wk), Niqab Shafiq, Sameer Minhas, Umar Zaib.
Non-travelling reserves:
Abdul Qadir, Farhanullah, Hassan Khan, Ibtisam Azhar, Mohammad Huzaifa.
Support Staff:
Sarfaraz Ahmed (manager/mentor), Shahid Anwar (head coach/batting coach), Rao Iftikhar (bowling coach), Mansoor Amjad (fielding coach), Abrar Ahmed (trainer), Syed Nazir Ahmed (media manager), Dr Ali Aun (doctor), Ubaidullah (physio), Ali Hamza (analyst).
Pakistan Fixtures:
16 January – Pakistan vs England, Harare
19 January – Pakistan vs Scotland, Harare
22 January – Zimbabwe vs Pakistan, Harare
6 February – Final, Harare
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