Farhan Yousuf to lead title defence;
Usman Khan among key players included in squad
By Shakeel Ur Rehman, Peshawar
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 15-member squad for the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2026, scheduled to be held in Oman from 5 to 14 November.
Defending champions Pakistan will be led by Farhan Yousuf, with promising opener Usman Khan and several players who featured in Pakistan’s 3-1 Youth ODI series victory over England in September included in the squad.
According to the PCB, the Pakistan U19 team will depart for Oman from Karachi on 29 October. Eight teams will compete in the tournament, with Pakistan drawn in Group A alongside arch-rivals India, the United Arab Emirates and Nepal.
Group B comprises Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.
The squad includes wicketkeeper-batters Abdul Qadir and Hamza Zahoor, along with batters Usman Khan, Hayam Khan, Jahangir Bilal and Huzaifa Ahsan.
All-rounders Ahmed Hussain and Hasnain Abbas Dar have also been named, while Abdul Subhan, Mohammad Seyam, Ali Raza and Rizwanullah will provide the pace-bowling options.
The spin department features left-arm wrist-spinner Mohammad Huzaifa and left-arm spinner Niqab Shafiq.
Of the 15 players selected for the Asia Cup, only Ali Raza and Huzaifa Ahsan were not part of Pakistan’s U19 squad that defeated England 3-1 in the four-match Youth ODI series in September.
Pakistan will enter the tournament with confidence, having won the previous edition of the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates. In the final, Pakistan produced a dominant performance to defeat India by 191 runs at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai and lift the prestigious title.
The defending champions will now aim to maintain their supremacy in the continental competition and become champions for a second consecutive edition.
Pakistan will begin their title defence against the UAE on 6 November before facing India on 8 November. Their final group-stage fixture will be against Nepal on 10 November.
All three of Pakistan’s group matches will begin at 10am Pakistan Standard Time.
The semi-finals are scheduled for 12 November, while the tournament final will take place on 14 November.
With a combination of experienced campaigners from the recent England tour and promising young talent, Pakistan will look to progress to the knockout stage and successfully defend their title.
Pakistan U19 Squad
Farhan Yousuf (captain), Abdul Qadir (wicketkeeper), Abdul Subhan, Ahmed Hussain, Ali Raza, Hamza Zahoor (wicketkeeper), Hasnain Abbas Dar, Hayam Khan, Huzaifa Ahsan, Jahangir Bilal, Mohammad Huzaifa, Mohammad Seyam, Niqab Shafiq, Rizwanullah and Usman Khan.
Player Support Personnel
Shahid Anwar (head coach and team manager), Rao Iftikhar Anjum (fast-bowling coach), Zohaib Khan (spin-bowling coach), Humayun Farhat (fielding coach), Ubaid Ullah (physiotherapist), Ibrar Ahmed (trainer) and Ali Hamza (performance analyst).
Pakistan’s Fixtures
6 November: Pakistan vs UAE — OCA Ground 2
8 November: Pakistan vs India — OCA Ground 1
10 November: Pakistan vs Nepal — OCA Ground 1
12 November: Semi-finals
14 November: Final
Leave a Reply