The men's U19 World Cup is here with some future stars set to take the field in South Africa. See broadcast details, squads, fixtures and more
All you need to know for the men's U19 World Cup
When does it start?
The tournament will begin on Friday, January 19 with South Africa taking on the West Indies at JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom, South Africa. The last game will be the final almost a month later on Sunday, February 11.
Where is it being played?
South Africa is hosting the tournament with games being played in Potchefstroom, Bloemfontein, Benoni, Kimberley and East London. The semi-finals and the final will be played in Benoni.
The tournament was originally scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka but the country was stripped of the World Cup following suspension from the ICC for government interference in the cricket board's administration.
When are Australia's matches?
Australia will play three matches in the initial group stage of the tournament beginning with Namibia on Monday, January 22.
January 22: Australia v Namibia, The Oval in Kimberley
January 25: Australia v Zimbabwe, The Oval in Kimberley
January 28: Australia v Sri Lanka, The Oval in Kimberley
Following the initial group stage matches, the Super Six and Playoff matches will occur between January 30 to February 3 followed by the the semi-finals on February 6 and 8 and the final on February 11.
Who is in the team?
Australia squad: Lachlan Aitken (QLD - Gold Coast District Cricket Club), Charlie Anderson (NSW - Northern District Cricket Club), Harkirat Bajwa (VIC - Melbourne Cricket Club), Mahli Beardman (WA - Melville Cricket Club), Tom Campbell (QLD - Western Suburbs District Cricket Club), Harry Dixon (VIC - St Kilda Cricket Club), Ryan Hicks (NSW - Mosman Cricket Club), Sam Konstas (NSW - Sutherland Cricket Club), Rafael MacMillan (NSW - St George District Cricket Club), Aidan O’Connor (TAS - Greater Northern Raiders), Harjas Singh (NSW - Western Suburbs Cricket Club), Tom Straker (NSW - Sutherland District Cricket Club), Callum Vidler (QLD - Valley District Cricket Club), Corey Wasley (WA - Rockingham-Mandurah Cricket Club), Hugh Weibgen (QLD - Valley District Cricket Club)
You can see every squad, and their fixtures, here.
How can I watch it?
Prime Video will stream all 41 matches of the 24-day tournament. It's the first time live international cricket will be shown on Prime after the Amazon-owned streaming platform snared the ICC's rights for the Australian market following last year's ODI World Cup.
It will be a good test of how the Prime service works for cricket fans, who will have to get used to using it - Amazon snared the ICC's Australian rights for the next four years, with no free-to-air Australian broadcast as part of the deal. You can read more about that here.
What's the time difference like?
Fans in Australia will be able to catch the action in the evenings with all matches starting at 7pm (AEDT) (10am local) . Western Australian viewers will see matches starting at 4pm (AWST).
How many countries are taking part?
There are 16 teams taking part in the tournament with India entering as the defending champions following its 2022 feat in the West Indies. India has won four of the last eight tournaments dating back to 2008. Australia has won three of the U19 World Cup titles including the inaugural event in 1988. Australia’s last title was in 2010 (New Zealand) and has been close to returning to the top honour since, coming runner-up in 2012 (Australia) and 2018 (New Zealand).
ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup Groups
Group A: India, Bangladesh, Ireland, USA
Group B: England, South Africa, West Indies, Scotland
Group C: Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Namibia
Group D: Afghanistan, Pakistan, New Zealand, Nepal
How does the tournament work?
The tournament will conclude with a final where two teams will contest for the ultimate trophy. To make it that far, teams will need to initially finish in the top three of their group comprising of four teams to qualify for the Super Sixes stage. At this stage, 12 teams will remain alive in the tournament where the top two teams in each group will progress to the semi-finals. Meanwhile the four knocked-out teams will battle it out for 13th to 16th positions.
What are Australia's chances?
An 8-3 series victory in an U19 Ashes tour last year, featuring a strong contingent of current players, is a strong indication this Australian U19 team will challenge for the ultimate prize this World Cup.
The squad features three players already plying their trade at senior professional level. Batters Sam Konstas and Harry Dixon hold Big Bash contracts with Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Renegades respectively. WA quick Mahli Beardman made his Marsh Cup debut earlier this season.
Brian Taber Medallist for the player of the U19 Male National Championships Aiden O’Connor is also set to feature in the event. The Tasmanian rookie contracted is an allrounder who bowls right arm fast medium.
The last U19 World Cup in South Africa (2020), Australia lost to India by 74 runs in the Super League quarter-finals.