With four-time record champions India being strong contenders for another title, the stars of the future will get their big stage to shine when the ICC Under-19 World Cup begins here on Friday.
Faced with the constant threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament will feature 16 teams divided into four groups and is being held in the Caribbean for the first time.
India are in Group B while Australia, the second most successful team in the competition, are in Group D.
Bangladesh, who troubled mighty India to win their maiden Under-19 World Cup trophy in South Africa two years ago, have been placed in Group A.
Two-time winners Pakistan are in Group C with Afghanistan, who arrived late in the Caribbean due to visa issues and will go into their opening game without a practice match. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals.
The bio-bubble of the tournament is yet to be broken, but the Zimbabwe and Pakistan squads have already been hit by COVID-19.
Scotland replaced New Zealand in the competition after the 1998 runners-up decided to withdraw due to quarantine restrictions for minors to return home.
Hosts West Indies will take on Australia while Scotland will take on Sri Lanka in the opening match of the tournament on Friday. India will start their campaign against South Africa in Guyana on Saturday.
Claimant:
India
Record four-time champions India have to be one of the title contenders in the current squad despite not inspiring the confidence seen in previous batches.
After winning the Asia Cup straight from Dubai, India’s preparation has been good.
After a tough five-day quarantine, the Yash Dhull-led side made a comeback and beat Australia in their practice game.
Expectations will be high from opener Harnoor Singh, Delhi batsman and captain Yash, Shaik Rashid and pacer Rajvardhan Hangargekar, who showed their mettle in the Asia Cup.
India has the biggest talent pool and this is the primary reason why a player gets a chance to play in the Under-19 World Cup, unlike most teams.
Australia:
Only India has won the tournament more times than Australia’s three titles. The team is also second in terms of wins and win percentage.
In fact, in the last 12 appearances, Australia have made it to the semi-finals on at least eight occasions, and they have been remarkably consistent.
The last win came back in 2010 by a team of Mitchell Marsh, Adam Zampa and Josh Hazlewood, who will play a crucial role 11 years later as Australia claim the men’s T20 World Cup 2021.
This time, all-rounder Cooper Connolly will lead the side, and he will have fond memories of taking on the host nation. In 2020, he scored 64 off 53 balls in a play-off match against West Indies which was eventually abandoned due to rain.
He is the only player to make a comeback from the 2020 squad but there will be no lack of support, especially from aspiring spinner Nivethan Radhakrishnan.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh created history in 2020 and will have to repeat it. Before 2020, his previous best performance came in 2016 when the team, captained by Mehdi Hassan Miraj, finished third on home soil.
This time the team is being captained by left-arm spinner Rakibul Hasan, who is part of the winning team in South Africa.
Bangladesh had lost to India in the semi-finals of the Asia Cup last month.
Pakistan
Only India has reached the final of the tournament more times than Pakistan, having done so on a total of five occasions.
Glorious years returned in 2004 and 2006, which saw back-to-back titles from squads like Wahab Riaz and Imad Wasim alongside future captain Sarfaraz Ahmed.
Recently, Shaheen Shah Afridi first glanced at the 2018 U19 World Cup, so the conveyor belt of talent showed no signs of slowing down.
In the West Indies, all-rounder Qasim Akram will captain a team that is coached by former Pakistan batsman Ejaz Ahmed.
Qasim will be joined by top-order batsman Muhammad Shahzad who is also back for his second appearance in the tournament.
England
It is now 24 years since England’s only win in the competition, but the team advanced to the semi-finals on their way to third place in 2014.
Last time around, England failed to go beyond the first round, being eliminated in a group featuring Australia and West Indies before going to ninth place with three wins in the play-offs.
This year, Hampshire batsman and captain Tom Purst will expect a strong showing for the team coached by Richard Dawson in a completely new form.
The squad also includes Barbados-born spinner Jacob Bethel, who will be expected to impress upon his return to the Caribbean, as well as fellow spinner Archie Lenham, who made a regular appearance for Sussex in all three formats in 2021 at the age of just 17. Exhibited.
Sri Lanka
After reaching the final of the Asia Cup, the confidence of the team will be very high. Sri Lanka will be looking for a better performance after being out in the first round in each of the last two editions.
In the semi-finals in 2016 with a team of Avishka Fernando, Charit Aslanka and Wanindu Hasaranga, they twice finished third in their group.
The goal will be to avoid failing for a third time in a row to make it to the quarter-finals, but it won’t be easy for the group in which they find themselves.
Mathisha Pathirana is back in the team after playing in 2020 when Sri Lanka finished 10th overall.
Dunith Velález will captain the team after first withdrawing from the team to focus on his studies.
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