Australia's Under-19 men's cricket team is preparing to participate in the ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia. The tournament is scheduled to begin, with Australia's first match against Ireland set for Friday, January 16. Australia, the defending champions from 2024, will compete in Group A and aim to secure a fifth title.
Tournament Overview
The ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup features 16 teams. The tournament's group stage will be followed by a Super Six stage, leading to semi-finals and the final on February 6 in Harare.
Tournament Format:
- Group Stage: 16 teams are divided into four groups.
- Group A: Australia, Ireland, Japan, Sri Lanka
- Group B: Bangladesh, India, New Zealand, USA
- Group C: England, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
- Group D: Afghanistan, South Africa, Tanzania, West Indies
- Super Six Stage: The top three teams from each of the four groups will advance.
- Top three from Group A and D will form one Super Six group.
- Top three from Group B and C will form another Super Six group.
- Points, wins, and net run-rate from matches against other progressing Super Six teams will carry forward.
- Teams will play two matches in the Super Six stage against teams from the opposing group.
- Knockout Stage: The top two teams from each Super Six group will proceed to the semi-finals, with the winners advancing to the final.
Australia's Participation and Fixtures
Australia is placed in Group A alongside Ireland, Japan, and Sri Lanka. All of Australia's group stage matches will be played at the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek.
Australia's Group Stage Fixtures (All times AEDT):
- January 16: Australia v Ireland (6:30 PM)
- January 20: Australia v Japan (6:30 PM)
- January 23: Sri Lanka v Australia (6:30 PM)
Key Dates for Knockout Stages (All times AEDT):
- January 25 - February 1: Super Six Matches
- February 3: First Semi-final, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo (6:30 PM)
- February 4: Second Semi-final, Harare Sports Club, Harare (6:30 PM)
- February 6: Final, Harare Sports Club, Harare (6:30 PM)
All matches will be broadcast exclusively live on Prime Video.
Australian Squad
The 15-man Australian squad for the tournament is led by captain Oliver Peake.
Australian Squad:
- Oliver Peake (c) (Victoria)
- Kasey Barton (NSW)
- Naden Cooray (NSW)
- Jayden Draper (Queensland)
- Ben Gordon (Queensland)
- Steven Hogan (Queensland)
- Thomas Hogan (ACT)
- John James (NSW)
- Charles Lachmund (Queensland)
- Alex Lee-Young (NSW)
- Will Malajczuk (WA)
- Nitesh Samuel (NSW)
- Hayden Schiller (SA)
- Aryan Sharma (Victoria)
- William Taylor (NSW)
Captain Oliver Peake:
Oliver Peake, representing Victoria, will captain the Australian team. He is the sole returning player from Australia's 2024 championship-winning U19 team, where he contributed an unbeaten 46 runs in the final. Peake has played 10 first-class matches, six domestic one-dayers, and seven Big Bash matches.
Players of Note:
Several players in the squad have notable recent performances:
- Steven Hogan (Queensland): Has recorded a first-grade century and two fifties this season, and scored 92 runs against India U19s in a four-day match in September.
- Charles Lachmund (Queensland): Took 13 wickets in five games at the U19 National Championships and achieved a five-wicket haul in first-grade cricket in November.
- Will Malajczuk (WA): An off-spinning allrounder, he led the Aussie U19s in a series against India in Peake's absence. He scored 85 runs off 47 balls against South Africa in a warm-up match and has trained with Australia's Test squad.
- Jayden Draper (Queensland): Scored 107 runs against India in a Youth ODI in September.
- Aryan Sharma (Victoria): A left-arm orthodox spin bowling all-rounder, he has been a local replacement player for a Big Bash franchise and performed in warm-up matches.
- Alex Lee-Young (NSW): A wicketkeeper who has recorded two 1st Grade centuries this season.
- Kasey Barton (NSW), Ben Gordon (Queensland), and Will Taylor (NSW) are part of the fast-bowling contingent.
- Thomas Hogan (ACT) and Hayden Schiller (SA) are also identified as batters.
- Naden Cooray (NSW), John James (NSW), and Nitesh Samuel (NSW) are also members of the squad.
Historical Context
Australia has won the ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup four times, including the inaugural tournament in 1988 and the most recent in 2024. The team aims to secure back-to-back championships for the first time. Many former players from Australia's U19 World Cup teams have gone on to represent the country internationally, including Stuart Law, Cameron White, Shaun Marsh, Mitch Marsh, and Josh Hazlewood.