Pakistan U19 squad announced for tri-series, Asia Cup

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the Pakistan Under-19 squad, led by Saad Baig, for a 50-overs tri-series and Asia Cup, set to take place in the UAE from November 13 to December 8.

The tri-series, involving Afghanistan and hosts UAE, will kick off on November 13 at the ICC Academy in Dubai. The Asia Cup will commence on November 29, featuring eight teams. It will be played at the Dubai International Stadium and Sharjah International Stadium.

Saad Baig, who captained Pakistan in the last ACC Under-19 Asia Cup and ICC Under-19 World Cup, will lead a 15-player squad, which will be reduced to 14 ahead of the Asia Cup. Key players such as Ali Raza, Haroon Arshad, Mohammad Riazullah, Naveed Ahmed Khan, Shahzaib Khan, and Tayyab Arif, who played in the ICC U19 World Cup 2024, bring experience to the team. The squad was selected through trials and selection matches by the Men’s National Selection Committee, narrowing down from a pool of 120 players recommended by 16 regions, based on performances in the Inter-District Under-19 tournament and Regional Under-19 Academies in August.

The team will leave for UAE on Saturday (today) from Lahore, and they will play their first match of the tri-series against UAE on November 13. The tri-series will follow a double-league format, with the final set for November 26 between the top two teams.

For the Asia Cup, Pakistan are in Group A and will face India in their opening match on November 30, followed by matches against UAE on December 2 and Japan on December 4 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals on December 6, with the final scheduled for December 8.