LAHORE – Pakistan Cricket Board has announced a 15-man squad and four reserve players for the upcoming ICC Under 19 World Cup 2018 to be played in New Zealand in January next year.
The U-19 team will feature in a three-match ODI series against Australia on December 27, 29 and 31, 2017 and later will travel to New Zealand to play two ODI matches on January 3 and January 5, 2018, respectively.
Later, the team will feature in the ICC U-19 World Cup commencing from January 13, 2018 in New Zealand.
The training camp for the U-19 team will be set up at National Cricket Academy, Lahore from December 7 to December 20, 2017 and the team will depart for Australia on December 21, 2017.
Hasan Khan, who made his first-class debut for Karachi Whites in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy this season, will captain the set-up. He topped the batting charts for Pakistan in the 2016 Under 19 World Cup, compiling 293 runs. However, he struggled in the recently-concluded Under 19 Asia Cup, accruing just 39 runs. Munir Riaz, who bagged eight scalps in the Under 19 Asia Cup, and Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead the attack.
15-member Squad: Mohsin Khan, Imran Shah, Zaid Alam, Rohail Nazir (Wicketkeeper), Muhammad Taha, Emmad Alam, Ali Zaryab, Saad Khan, Hassan Khan (C), Musa Khan, Shaheen Shah, Munir Riaz, Arshad Iqbal, Muhammad Ali, Suleman Shafqat
Reserve Players: Muhammad Junaid, Haider Ali, Muhammad Ilyas, Azam Khan, Mukhtair Ahmad (WK)
Pakistan are placed in Group D in the World Cup alongside U-19 Asia Cup Champions Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Ireland. Their first game will be against Afghanistan on January 13.
Pakistan are two-time Under 19 World Cup winners, having won the tournament in 2004 and 2006. West Indies are the defending champions.
