U19 World Cup: England announce 15-member squad; Thomas Rew to captain; Farhan Ahmed named vice-captain | Cricket News
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 take place in Zimbabwe and Namibia and will begin on January 15, 2026.
Young teams from around the world will compete for the prestigious title across multiple 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 follow on January 18 and 21.The top three teams from each group will advance to the Super Six stage. The final will be played at the Harare Sports Club on February 6.Somerset keeper-batsman Thomas Rew has been chosen to captain the England Under-19 team. Rew recently gained valuable experience playing for the England Lions on their tour of Australia. Nottinghamshire all-rounder Farhan Ahmed has been named vice-captain. He had earlier led the team in the seven-match Youth ODI series against the West Indies in Grenada when Rew was unavailable. Ahmed’s role in this series helped him become a leader within the team. Another notable inclusion is left-arm spinner Ali Farooq from Leicestershire, who earned his first Young Lions call-up after some impressive performances. England Under-19 head coach Mike Yardy expressed his excitement over the team’s selection in an ECB statement. He said: “It’s an incredible opportunity for the players we have selected to not only wear the England shirt at a World Cup, but also to go out and try to do something special. “We have a balanced team with a core of players who already have championship experience and who have developed a camaraderie playing together for the U19s which will stand them in good stead during the tournament. “I really want the players to take advantage of the opportunity to play in a World Cup, in a beautiful country like Zimbabwe, and to take advantage of the opportunity to compete with different countries and show their qualities.”
