Cricket Ireland on Thursday (December 16) named a 15-member squad for the upcoming Men’s U-19 World Cup, which is set to be held in the Caribbean next month. Tim Tector, who captained the side in the ICC Under-19s Men’s World Cup European Qualifier in September and led them towards victory in the finals, has been named the skipper of the squad.
The squad welcomes Daniel Forkin as a replacement for left-arm spinner Cameron Doak, who has made himself unavailable for the tournament. Furthermore, seamer Reuben Wilson has also received a call-up in the squad.
“The importance of competing at Under-19s World Cups cannot be underestimated on emerging cricketers. So many of today’s cricketing superstars have cut their teeth at such tournaments – it’s like a dress rehearsal for the main event, and is seen as a key experience for players wanting to take the step up to the senior international stage,” said Ireland Under-19s Men Head Coach Pete Johnston.
“During Ireland’s last appearance at the Under-19s World Cup in New Zealand in 2018, we won three of our six matches, including a memorable 4-run win over Afghanistan. From that squad, Neil Rock, Harry Tector and Josh Little have gone on to make their senior international debuts, while Graham Kennedy, JJ Garth and Aaron Cawley have featured for the Ireland Wolves.
“We have largely kept faith in the squad that won the final in the European Qualifier, as the players showed great resilience in bouncing back from defeat in the first game. The way the lads finished strongly in that tournament, defeating an experienced Scotland side twice, was a great demonstration that they know their roles and their strengths – and most importantly, they know how to go about winning games under pressure.“
The global tournament, which will see 16 teams competing for the title, will commence on 14 January and run till 5 February 2022. The participating teams have been classified into four groups of four teams each. The top two from each group will progress to the Super League stage to decide the tournament winner. The third and fourth-ranking teams placed in each group enter a Plate play-off.
Ireland Under-19 World Cup Men’s squad:
Tim Tector (captain) (YMCA), Diarmuid Burke (Malahide)Joshua Cox (Paul Roos Gymnasium), Jack Dickson (Instonians), Liam Doherty (St. Andrew’s School), Jamie Forbes (YMCA), Daniel Forkin (Merrion), Matthew Humphreys (Lisburn), Philippe le Roux (Railway Union), Scott Macbeth (St. Johnston), Nathan McGuire (Rush), Muzamil Sherzad (North Kildare), David Vincent (Clontarf), Luke Whelan (North County), Reuben Wilson (YMCA)
Travelling reserve: Robbie Millar (Eglinton)
Non-travelling reserves: Ryan Hunter (CSNI), Ewan Wilson (Muckamore)
Ireland Under-19s Group Stage fixtures:
• 15 January: Ireland Under-19s v Uganda Under-19s, Everest Cricket Club, Guyana
• 19 January: Ireland Under-19s v India Under-19s, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago
• 21 January: Ireland Under-19s v South Africa Under-19s, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago
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