KEY POINTS
- Namibia and Zimbabwe to co-host the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup from January 15 to February 6.
- The 16-team tournament will follow a group stage, Super Six, and knockout format, with all knockout matches in Zimbabwe.
- Defending champions Australia headline Group A, while 2024 finalists India and Bangladesh are placed together in Group B.
- The event will unfold across five venues, spotlighting emerging talent on a global stage.
ISLAMABAD: The stage is set for cricket’s future stars at the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026. The tournament will be hosted by Namibia and Zimbabwe from January 15 to February 6 across five venues.
Tournament format: Path to the knockouts
The 16 qualified teams will begin their campaign in a round-robin Group Stage, divided into four pools of four.
The competition then progresses to a Super Six phase, where the top three teams from each initial group (12 teams total) will be redistributed into two new groups of six. This stage intensifies the race for the semifinal berths, with only the top two from each Super Six group advancing.
The business end of the tournament will be exclusively hosted in Zimbabwe, with the Semifinals on February 3 and 4, culminating in the Final on February 6.
Group Analysis: Champions, Finalists, and Emerging Nations Clash
The draw has produced intriguing groups with compelling storylines:
Group A: Defending champions Australia, who lifted the trophy in 2024, will face Ireland, Japan, and Sri Lanka as they begin their title defence.
Group B: A heavyweight pool featuring the previous edition’s finalists, India and Bangladesh, alongside a formidable New Zealand side and the emerging USA.
Group C: Host nation Zimbabwe will battle it out with traditional powerhouses England and Pakistan, plus Scotland.
Group D: Known for their exciting brand of cricket, Afghanistan and the West Indies are grouped with South Africa and debutants Tanzania.
Venues Ready to Showcase Future Stars
A blend of established and developing cricketing grounds will host the matches:
In Zimbabwe: Harare Sports Club, Takashinga Sports Club, and Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo).
In Namibia: The Namibia Cricket Ground (Windhoek) and the HP Oval (Windhoek).
“The announcement of the groups and format marks a significant milestone as we prepare to welcome the next generation of cricketing talent,” said an ICC spokesperson. “Namibia and Zimbabwe are poised to provide an excellent platform for these young athletes to showcase their skills on a global stage.”
With only the USA left to name its squad, the countdown to the Under-19 World Cup is now truly underway. This historic launchpad for future stars will command the cricket world’s attention on Southern Africa from January 15 to February 6.
U19 World Cup 2026: Squads
Pakistan – 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.
Australia: Oliver Peake (c), Kasey Barton, Naden Cooray, Jayden Draper, Ben Gordon, Steven Hogan, Thomas Hogan, John James, Charles Lachmund, Will Malajczuk, Nitesh Samuel, Hayden Schiller, Aryan Sharma, William Taylor, Alex Lee Young.
Ireland: Olly Riley (c), Reuben Wilson, Alex Armstrong, Callum Armstrong, Marko Bates, Sebastian Dijkstra, Thomas Ford, Samuel Haslett, Adam Leckey, Febin Manoj, Luke Murray, Robert O’Brien, Freddie Ogilby, James West, Bruce Whaley. Non-Travelling Reserves: Peter le Roux, William Shields.
Japan: Kazuma Kato-Stafford (c), Charles Hara-Hinze, Gabriel Hara-Hinze, Montgomery Hara-Hinze, Kaisei Kobayashi-Doggett, Timothy Moore, Skyler Nakayama-Cook, Ryuki Ozeki, Nihar Parmar, Nikhil Pol, Chihaya Sekine, Hugo Tani-Kelly, Sandev Aaryan Waduge, Kai Wall, Taylor Waugh.
Scotland: Thomas Knight (c), Finlay Carter, Max Chaplin, George Cutler, Rory Grant, Finlay Jones, Ollie Jones, Ali Khan, Olly Pillinger, Ethan Ramsay, Theo Robinson, Manu Saraswat, Shreyas Tekale, Shlok Thaker, Jake Woodhouse.
Zimbabwe: Simbarashe Mudzengerere (c), Kian Blignaut, Michael Blignaut, Leeroy Chiwaula, Tatenda Chimugoro, Brendon Senzere, Nathaniel Hlabangana, Takudzwa Makoni, Panashe Mazai, Webster Madhidhi, Shelton Mazvitorera, Kupakwashe Muradzi, Brandon Ndiweni, Dhruv Patel, Benny Zuze.
South Africa: Muhammad Bulbulia (c), JJ Basson, Daniel Bosman, Corne Botha, Paul James, Enathi Khitshini Tembalethu, Michael Kruiskamp, Adnaan Lagadien, Bayanda Majola, Armaan Manack, Bandile Mbatha, Lethabo Phahlamohlaka, Jason Rowles, Ntandoyenkosi Soni, Jorich van Schalkwyk.
West Indies – Joshua Dorne (c), Jewel Andrew, Shamar Apple, Shaquan Belle, Zachary Carter, Tanez Francis, R’jai Gittens, Vitel Lawes, Micah McKenzie, Matthew Miller, Isra-el Morton, Jakeem Pollard, Aadian Racha, Kunal Tilokani, Jonathan Van Lange.
New Zealand – Tom Jones (c), Marco Alpe, Hugo Bogue, Harry Burns, Mason Clarke, Jacob Cotter, Aryan Mann, Brandon Matzopoulos, Flynn Morey, Snehith Reddy, Callum Samson, Jaskaran Sandhu, Selwin Sanjay, Hunter Shore, Harry Waite.
Sri Lanka – Vimath Dinsara (c), Kavija Gamage, Dimantha Mahavithana, Viran Chamuditha, Dulnith Sigera, Chamika Heentigala, Adam Hilmy, Chamarindu Nethsara, Sethmika Seneviratne, Kugathas Mathulan, Rasith Nimsara, Vigneshwaran Akash, Jeewantha Sriram, Senuja Wekunagoda, Malintha Silva.
India – Ayush Mhatre (c), Vihaan Malhotra (vc), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Aaron George, Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Harvansh Singh (wk), R.S. Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan A. Patel, Mohamed Enaan, Henil Patel, D. Deepesh, Kishan Kumar Singh, Udhav Mohan.
England – Thomas Rew (c), Farhan Ahmed, Ralphie Albert, Ben Dawkins, Caleb Falconer, Ali Farooq, Alex French, Alex Green, Luke Hands, Manny Lumsden, Ben Mayes, James Minto, Isaac Mohammed, Joe Moores, Sebastian Morgan.
Bangladesh – Azizul Hakim Tamim (c), Zawad Abrar, Samiun Basir Ratul, Sheikh Parves Jibon, RIzan Hossan, Shaharia Al Amin, Shadin Islam, Mohammad Abdullah, Farid Hasan Faysal, Kalam Siddiki Aleen, Rifat Beg, Saad Islam Razin, Al Fahad, Shahriar Ahmed, Iqbal Hossain Emon.
Afghanistan – Mahboob Khan (c), Khalid Ahmadzai, Osman Sadat, Faisal Khan, Uzairullah Niazai, Aziz Mia Khil, Nazif Amiri, Khatir Stanikzai, Nooristani, Abdul Aziz, Salam Khan, Wahid Zadran, Zaitullah Shaheen, Rohullah Arab, Hafieez Zadran. Reserves: Aqil Khan, Fahim Qasemi, Izat Noor.
Tanzania – Laksh Bakrania (c), Dylan Thakrar (vc), Raymond Emmanuel, Darpan Jobaputra, Mohammedi Mbaki, Alfred Fungamtama, Ayaan Shariff, Acrey Hugo, Hamza Onai, Karim Kiseto, Ally Hafidhi Ally, Agustino Mwamele, Khalidy Juma, Abdulazak Amiri, Omary Ramadhani. Non-travelling reserves: Jonathan Nyambo, Rehaan Mohamed.
USA – Yet to be announced
