Thomas Rew of the English Lions (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images) The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has named a 15-man squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup. The tournament will be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia and will start on January 15, 2026.
Why batsman Suryakumar Yadav can hurt India in T20 World Cup
Young teams from all over the world will compete for the prestigious title in several locations. England will be based in Zimbabwe and have been placed in Group C of the 16-team competition. They begin their campaign against Pakistan in Harare on Friday 16 January. Matches against co-hosts Zimbabwe and Scotland will follow on 18 January and 21 January.The top three teams from each group advance to the Super Six stage. The final will be played at the Harare Sports Club on February 6.Thomas Rew has been named captain of the England Under-19 team. Rew recently gained valuable experience playing for the England Lions during their tour of Australia. Nottinghamshire all-rounder Farhan Ahmed was named vice-captain. He had previously led the team during the seven-match Youth ODI series against West Indies in Grenada when Rew was unavailable. Ahmed’s role in this series helped him grow as a leader in the team. Another notable inclusion is left-arm spinner Ali Farooq from Leicestershire, who earned his first Young Lions call-up after impressive performances. England Under-19 head coach Mike Yardy expressed his excitement at the squad selection in an ECB statement. He said: “This is an amazing opportunity for the players we have selected to not only pull on the England shirt at the World Cup but to go out and try something special. “We have a balanced squad with a core group of players who already have regional experience and who have developed a camaraderie 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 the World Cup in a beautiful country like Zimbabwe and take the chance to compete against different countries and show their quality.”
