The Pakistan Under-19 cricket team has departed from Karachi for Dubai to participate in the eight-team ACC U19 Asia Cup, scheduled to be held from December 12 to 21.
Placed in Group A, Pakistan will begin its campaign against Malaysia at the Sevens Stadium on Friday, December 12. The side will then face traditional rivals India at the ICC Academy Ground on Sunday, December 14, before playing United Arab Emirates at the same venue on Tuesday, December 16.
Group B comprises Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals on December 19, while the final will be played at the ICC Academy Ground on Sunday, December 21. All matches will be contested in the 50-over format, starting at 9am local time.
Before leaving for Dubai, the Pakistan U19 squad underwent a seven-day training camp at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre in Karachi, where players participated in practice matches and intensive training sessions.
Speaking to PCB Digital ahead of the team’s departure, manager and mentor Sarfaraz Ahmed expressed confidence in the squad and its preparation.
He said the players were reminded they had been selected on merit and represent the best young cricketing talent in the country.
Sarfaraz added that the team had trained hard over the past week and showed promising signs during the camp. He stressed the importance of consistency, stating that strong performances in all group matches would be key to success in the tournament.
The former Pakistan captain also revealed that the squad will hold a practice session in Dubai to help players settle into conditions quickly before the start of the competition.
Pakistan U19 Squad
Farhan Yousaf (captain), Usman Khan (vice-captain), Abdul Subhan, Ahmed Hussain, Ali Hassan Baloch, Ali Raza, Daniyal Ali Khan, Hamza Zahoor (wk), Huzaifa Ahsan, Momin Qamar, Mohammad Huzaifa, Mohammad Sayyam, Mohammad Shayan (wk), Niqab Shafiq, Sameer Minhas.
