All you need to know about the 2018 Under-19 World Cup

The stage is set once again for the youths (rather teenagers) all around the world to showcase their talent as the Under-19 World Cup is here. The preparation that players, coaches and support staff had been doing for the past one year is done and dusted. Now is the time for the talented and exciting teenagers to go out and shine.

The 12th edition of the Under-19 World Cup will get underway on the 13th of January and all eyes from around the world will be on the young men (from 16 teams) who will be battling it out in New Zealand.

The main point about this tournament is that this is about a lot more than just winning and losing. The players who are representing their country get to learn a lot. They face different challenges at different stages, they learn how to handle pressure situations, and moreover, they get to play a World Cup at a pretty young age.

Thus, the Under-19 World Cup serves as a perfect stepping stone for the youngsters to show what they are made of and try to make a name for themselves. With 48 ODIs to be played over the next 21 days across six venues in New Zealand and with the games being telecasted around the world, everyone will be keen on watching who the future stars are and how they perform at the big stage.

Which teams are taking part?

· 16 teams from around the world have already landed in New Zealand to take part in the mega event.

· In the 16 teams that are participating, 10 are full ICC members - New Zealand, India, England, Australia, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Windies, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh – these received automatic qualifications.

· Namibia, on the other hand, were awarded a spot as they finished as the best associate nation in the 2016 edition.

· Afghanistan, Ireland, Canada, Papua New Guinea and Kenya complete the 16 teams as they qualified after winning their respective regional Under-19 tournaments.

The Groups

Group A - New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies, Kenya

Group B - India, Australia, Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea

Group C - England, Bangladesh, Canada, Namibia

Group D - Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Afghanistan

How is the tournament going to be played? (The Format)

The 16 teams are divided into 4 groups – A, B, C and D. Each group consists of four teams who will play each other once during the league stage i.e. each team will play three matches in the group (league) stage.

The top two sides from each group will progress to the Super League quarter-finals and from that stage onwards every game will turn into a knockout (Quarters-Semis-Finals).

One more positive from this tournament is that once the group stage is over, the bottom two teams from each group don’t go back. They continue playing as the bottom two teams in each group move on to play the Plate quarter-finals, before semi-finals and a final are also played out in that section.

Hence, these teams which are filled with aspiring young players get to play at least four games in the tournament (apart from the warm-up games).

The captains pose with the trophy

Players to watch out for…

Prithvi Shaw - This 18-year old right-hand batsman is one of the most talked-about teenagers in India. He is one of the few players who have already played first-class cricket. And he has looked in sublime form ever since he made his debut. In 9 games, he has scored 961 runs at an average of 56.52. He is all set to lead India in their quest for the 4th U-19 title.

Mujeeb Zadran – Perhaps, Mujeeb Zadran is the only player in this tournament who has played international cricket. This 16-year old lad played against Ireland in December and spun a web around them as he took 7 wickets in 3 games. The off-spinner will look to bring his international experience and help Afghanistan reach as far as possible in the tournament.

Jason Sangha – The Australian Under-19 captain is most likely the only player to have played against a Test team. Even though it was a practice game, Sangha struck a majestic 133 against the visiting England side just before the Ashes. He will be looking to lead Australia to their 4th U-19 title and the first since 2010.

Shaheen Afridi – This 17-year left-arm pacer from Pakistan shot into the limelight after taking 8/39 in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. He is a tall 6’6’’ pacer can swing the ball both ways and can exploit the helpful conditions in New Zealand. Moreover, he has been in very good form as well. In the last 10 U-19 games he’s played, he has gone wicket-less only once.

Shubman Gill – While Prithvi Shaw is hogging away most of the limelight in the Indian U-19 team, an 18-year old batsman from Punjab is showing superb consistency at No. 3. He was the leading batsman when India U-19 toured England. He also played a couple of Ranji games this season and looked in supreme touch as he had scores of 63, 21, 129 and 32 in four innings. Thus, he will form the fulcrum of the Indian batting line-up in this World Cup.

Thando Ntini – The son of former South African pacer Makhyan Ntini, Thando is a right-arm fast bowler just like his father. Ntini has the ability to bowl with good speed and can trouble the batsmen. He has been a constant figure in the South African U-19 teams over the past one year and thus, he will play a key role for the Proteas.

Quotes from some star players

This is the stage where the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Mohammed Kaif, Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, Kane Williamson, Tim Southee, Wayne Parnell and many others shot into the limelight. This tournament is a wonderful platform for youngsters and it has been very highly rated by the stars from around the world.

The current India Under-19 coach Rahul Dravid before leaving for New Zealand said: “The World Cup is an exciting challenge and provides a good opportunity for all these guys. There is a process now in place in Indian cricket: U-19 cricket to first-class cricket and then to India A and then the India national team, when the opportunity arrives.”

The 2008 U-19 World Cup winning captain, Virat Kohli in a recent interview said, “It is a great stepping stone. Playing international cricket within your age group allows players to see slightly higher standards, the best of the best from the under-19 perspective, so (it is) a great tournament to be involved in.”

The current New Zealand captain Kane Williamson who played in 2008 said: “It is a great stepping stone. Playing international cricket within your age group allows players to see slightly higher standards, the best of the best from the under-19 perspective, so (it is) a great tournament to be involved in.”

New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee who played the 2008 U-19 World Cup said. “It is a great stepping stone. Playing international cricket within your age group allows players to see slightly higher standards, the best of the best from the under-19 perspective, so (it is) a great tournament to be involved in.”

George Bailey who was a part of the Australian U-19 team which won the World Cup in 2002 stated, “We won the tournament so that was one of my first taste of real success within a cricket team. Looking back, I was not sure where cricket was going to take me. That was certainly the start of a journey, but definitely a very enjoyable one. We had a couple of trips with that group or a similar group, I forged some friendships that remain strong till this day.”

Corey Anderson who is the brand ambassador for this Under-19 World Cup during the launch stated, “I was lucky to have figured in the tournament along with players like Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Joe Root, all of who have gone on to lead their respective sides in world cricket. The tournament provides players with many learnings which hold them in good stead as they develop into top-class cricketers.”