Latest news with #U19Men'sCricketWorldCup2026
News18
29-04-2025
- Sport
- News18
Japan Win East Asia-Pacific Qualifier To Book U-19 ICC Men's World Cup 2026 Spot
Japan won the East Asia-Pacific Qualifier unbeaten to become the 14th nation to seal their place at the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2026. Japan became the 14th nation to seal their place at the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2026 on Monday thanks to a dominant 115-run victory over Fiji, capping a scintillating, unbeaten week at the East Asia-Pacific Qualifier in Sano. The home side began the week with impressive wins over PNG (by 106 runs and by 71 runs) and Fiji (6 wickets) and arrived at Monday's fixture knowing a fourth victory would see them advance to their second U19 Men's CWC. Winning the toss and electing to bat first without their usual captain Nikhil Pol, the opening pair of Hugo Tani-Kelly (38 runs) and Nihar Parmar (36) made a solid start, putting on 78 runs before Parmar fell, bowled by Liga Manara. The dismissal of Tani-Kelly with the scores at 91 for two prompted a mini-collapse for Japan but critical contributions from Charlie Hara-Hinze (21) and Kazuma Kato-Stafford (25) helped steer them to a competitive 167 all out in 43 overs. Joeli Moala and Manara were the pick of the bowlers for Fiji, recording three for 33 and two for 29 respectively. With the biggest chase of the competition on the cards, Fiji began with Maika Kamikamica and Peni Mawa aiming to see off the opening bowlers, but it only took until the end of the sixth over for their resistance to be broken, with both openers losing their wickets in successive balls to Kato-Stafford and Tani-Kelly. The wicket of Vakatawa Jone brought Manav Narayan to the crease, and despite a rearguard innings of 20 from 35 balls, Fiji were undone by the talented Japanese bowling lineup, losing wickets at regular intervals with Hara-Hinze (four for 13) and Parmar (three for no runs and a run out) tearing through their middle and lower order. Reacting to their qualification, Japan captain Pol, said, 'We are so excited about qualifying for the World Cup. It's the biggest event on the U19 calendar and to follow in the footsteps of the team in 2020 makes us extremely proud. I can't wait to represent our country in Africa next year." The final day of the event on Tuesday saw PNG get their first win, beating Fiji by seven wickets in a rain-affected match, and following the conclusion of the action, the Japanese duo of Hara-Hinze and Parmar were recognised as the standout performers across the week – Parmar taking home the Batter and Bowler of the Tournament awards (121 runs and 13 wickets from his four matches), while Hara-Hinze picked up the Player of the Tournament prize (92 runs and 12 wickets). Japan had more reason to celebrate soon after, with no fewer than five players included in the Team of the Tournament. Captain Pol was named alongside Parmar, Hara-Hinze, Tani-Kelly and Skyler Nakayama-Cook, with the remining spots filled by Narayan, Moala and Manara of Fiji, plus Gaba Frank, Vagi Vani and Anthony David of PNG. 16 teams will be competing at the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2026 in Zimbabwe and Namibia. Ten teams automatically qualified for the event as the best-placed Full Member nations from the 2024 edition: Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies. Full Member hosts of the World Cup in 2026, Zimbabwe have also secured automatic qualification. The remaining five spots are determined through regional qualification pathways, with only the winning team from each regional Qualifier advancing to the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2026. Tanzania became the first team to qualify through this route last month with victory at the Africa Qualifier, while Afghanistan also booked their World Cup ticket after clinching the recent Asia Qualifier in Nepal. Victory in Sano means Japan are the 14th team to qualify, with Qualifiers in Europe and Americas still to follow in July and August where the final teams will be confirmed. First Published:
Int'l Cricket Council
19-04-2025
- Sport
- Int'l Cricket Council
Afghanistan win Asia Qualifier to clinch U19 Men's Cricket World Cup berth
Abandoned fixture sees them seal top spot from Nepal thanks to superior net run rate They become the thirteenth nation to confirm their place in Zimbabwe and Namibia after unbeaten week in Kathmandu An infographic detailing the qualification pathway for the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2026 is available on the ICC's Online Media Zone. Afghanistan emerged victorious from a competitive Asia Qualifier on Saturday, landing top spot and becoming the latest nation to qualify for the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2026 in Zimbabwe and Namibia by virtue of superior net run rate, with the final round of fixtures in Kathmandu abandoned due to rain. Their campaign began with dominant eight-wicket wins against Oman and Hong Kong China, before a mammoth score of 359 for four helped them defeat the UAE by 180 runs (D/L) and put them into the driver's seat heading into Saturday's winner-takes-all tie against Nepal. With the hosts also enjoying an unbeaten week, fans had hoped to witness a dramatic conclusion to the competition, however persistent rain meant no play was possible at the Lower Mulpani ground. As a result, Afghanistan's net run rate of +4.82 was enough to secure top spot from Nepal (+3.58) and deliver their ninth appearance at an U19 Men's Cricket World Cup. The post-match celebrations, led by captain Mahboob Khan, also honoured top-scorer Khalid Ahmadzai - the wicketkeeper-batter taking home the Player of the Tournament prize with 202 runs during the week which included a stellar 132 in the win over the UAE. Reacting to their qualification, Afghanistan skipper Mahboob said: 'Qualifying for the World Cup is a dream come true. This is a proud moment for every Afghan. We played with heart, and today our hard work paid off. 'This victory is for our nation, for every young boy who dreams of wearing the Afghanistan jersey. We are going to the World Cup and it is just the beginning. We will continue to work harder, stay humble, and fight for glory on the world stage. 'In the end, I want to thank my teammates, coaches, and the entire support staff. We stood together in tough times, and now we celebrate together.' As a result of the win, Afghanistan are the latest team to confirm their place among the 16 that will compete at next year's ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2026. Ten teams automatically qualified for the event as the best-placed Full Member nations from the previous edition in 2024. These are: Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies. Full Member hosts of the 2026 edition Zimbabwe have also secured automatic qualification. The remaining five spots are determined through regional qualification pathways, with only the winning team from each Regional Qualifier advancing to the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2026. Tanzania became the first team to qualify through this route earlier in the month by virtue of winning the Africa Qualifier, with Afghanistan now joining them as winners in Asia. The focus now shifts to East Asia-Pacific, where Japan, Fiji and PNG will compete for their World Cup place in Sano, Japan from 24 to 29 April.
Observer
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Oman U19s head to Nepal for high-stakes ICC CWC Asia Qualifier
MUSCAT: Oman's U19 cricket team departed for Nepal on April 8, ready to test their mettle against some of Asia's top youth sides in the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025. The high-stakes event, scheduled from April 13 to 19 in Kathmandu, will determine the sole Asian qualifier for the ICC U19 World Cup 2026. Oman begin their campaign against Afghanistan in the tournament opener on April 13 at the Mulpani International Cricket Ground. Hosts Nepal, UAE, Hong Kong, Afghanistan and Oman will compete across both the Upper and Lower Mulpani grounds, with all matches starting at 9:30am local time. The squad, led by Rahil Habibulla, features six new faces — Rishab Gupta, Ojjus Pachisia, Ayush Karthyic, Kavish Shah, Vignesh Karthikeyan and Aryan Joshi — as the team looks to strike a balance with talent and experience. While Oman earned their place in the Asia Qualifier by winning Division 2 last year, head coach Damith Warusavithana is realistic about the challenge ahead. Ahead of the departure, he said: 'We go in as underdogs, as Afghanistan and Nepal are the front-runners. But we are looking to compete and make sure to give our 100 per cent and stand up to the best of our abilities.' The head coach said the squad has undergone a thorough build-up phase, including over a dozen competitive matches and scenario-based training sessions designed to prepare players for high-pressure moments. 'The preparation in lead-up to the tournament was apt. We had a pool of 30 quality players, out of which the squad of 14 was selected,' he said. 'The training was more focused on scenarios which players were groomed to execute at different stages in matches.' Warusavithana praised the team's commitment during a demanding period. 'The dedication from the group was commendable. The preparation was amid the February–March months with exams on, but the boys have balanced cricket and studies exceptionally and as thorough professionals.' With the conditions in Nepal expected to be unfamiliar, Oman boys arrived early to acclimatise. 'We've concentrated on the physical, mental, and skill level of the players and are going a few days early to adapt well to the behaviour of the pitches,' Warusavithana added. 'Lastly, I thank the Oman Cricket Board and our support staff for their untiring efforts, which enabled us to prepare seamlessly for this important tournament.' Earlier last week, Tanzania became the 12th team to confirm their place at the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2026 in Zimbabwe and Namibia after winning the Africa Qualifier. Tanzania will now be among the 16 teams competing at the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2026 in Zimbabwe and Namibia. Ten teams have automatically qualified for the event as the best-placed Full Member nations from the previous event in 2024. These are: Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies. Full Member hosts of the 2026 edition Zimbabwe have also secured automatic qualification. Tanzania have now taken one of five spots determined through regional qualification pathways, with one team from each region securing a place at the event. Africa, Asia, Europe and East Asia-Pacific each have a two-step qualification process. Division 2 Qualifiers took place in 2024 to determine the teams that will be competing at the second and final stage, the Regional Qualifiers in 2025. The winning team from each Regional Qualifier in 2025 will qualify to compete at the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2026. The qualification pathway in the Americas region will only include a Regional Qualifier and similarly, only the winning nation will secure a World Cup berth. Oman squad: Rahil Habibulla (captain), Prathiesh HR (vice-captain), Nitish Nadendla, Saumya Sampat, Jeet Shah, Varshieth Dinesh, Siddharth Shankar, Omindu Medagoda, Rishab Gupta, Ojjus Pachisia, Ayush Karthyic, Kavish Shah, Vignesh Karthikeyan, Aryan Joshi. Oman's fixtures (all matches 9:30am local time): April 13 — vs Afghanistan, Upper Mulpani Ground; April 14 — vs Nepal, Upper Mulpani Ground; April 17 — vs UAE, Lower Mulpani Ground; April 18 — vs Hong Kong, Upper Mulpani Ground.
