The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has named a 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup. The tournament will be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia and will begin on January 15, 2026.
Young teams from around the world will compete for the prestigious title across several venues. England will be based in Zimbabwe and have been placed in Group C of the 16-team competition. They will begin their campaign against Pakistan in Harare on Friday, January 16. Matches against co-hosts Zimbabwe and Scotland will follow on January 18 and January 21.The top three teams from each group will move on to the Super Six stage. The final will be played at Harare Sports Club on February 6.Somerset wicketkeeper-batter Thomas Rew has been chosen to captain the England Under-19 side. Rew recently gained valuable experience by playing for the England Lions during their tour of Australia. Nottinghamshire all-rounder Farhan Ahmed has been named vice-captain. He previously led the team during the seven-match Youth ODI series against the West Indies in Grenada when Rew was unavailable. Ahmed’s role in that series has helped him grow as a leader within the squad. Another notable inclusion is left-arm spinner Ali Farooq from Leicestershire, who has earned his first call-up to the Young Lions after impressive performances. England Under-19 head coach Mike Yardy expressed his excitement about the squad selection in an ECB statement. He said, “This is an amazing opportunity for the players we have selected to not only wear an England shirt at a World Cup but also to go out and try and do something special. “We have a balanced squad with a core group of players who already have county experience and who have developed a camaraderie while playing together for the U19s that will serve them well during the tournament. “I really want the players to enjoy the opportunity to play at a World Cup, in a beautiful country like Zimbabwe, and to embrace the chance to compete against different countries and show their quality.”
