Sports Bulletin

SB News KARACHI(January 9, 2020):-Aliya Riaz’s all-round effort led PCB Blasters to a 25-run win over PCB Dynamites in the opening match of the National Triangular T20 Women’s Cricket Championship at Karachi’s National Stadium on Thursday. Rameen Shamim-led Blasters scored 144 for five in 20 over after Nahida Khan, the Dynamites’ captain, opted to bowl after winning the toss. With a 32-ball 42, which included eight fours, Javeria Khan top scored, while the second best score in the innings was registered by Aliya, who scored 27 runs from 28 balls on the back of two fours and a six. Blasters were provided a solid start by the opening pair of Javeria and Ayesha Naseem (22 off 20) as they put a 70-run stand. Dynamites’ Nashra Sandhu and Kainat Imtiaz picked up a wicket each for 40 and 17 runs, respectively. In their reply, Dynamites managed 119 for seven. Captain Nahida and Irum Javed scored 35 runs each. The former hit four fours in her 41-ball innings, while the latter hit three fours and two sixes in 28 balls. Aliya, with her medium-fast bowling, picked up two crucial wickets of Pakistan internationals Omaima Sohail and Irum. Her four overs leaked 24 runs. Anum Amin, the slow left-arm, took two wickets for 25 runs. For her all-round performance, Aliya was declared player of the match. On Friday, PCB Blasters will play PCB Challengers at the National Stadium. The match will begin at 12pm. Scores in brief: PCB Blasters 144-5, 20 overs (Javeria Khan 42, Aliya Riaz 27, Ayesha Naseem 22) PCB Dynamites 119-6, 20 overs (Nahida Khan 35, Irum Javed 35; Aliya Riaz 2-24) Result PCB Blasters beat PCB Dynamites by 25 runs

Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD (January 8, 2020):-Australian players, including 2019 T20 International Player of the Year, Alyssa Healy were joined by trailblazing women from a range of sectors for a beach cricket match, to begin the final countdown to the biggest women’s sporting event ever held in Australia. Set to cover over 14,000 kilometres around the country, the Trophy Tour will give thousands of fans the opportunity to see the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 trophy. The trophy will visit iconic locations around Australia to bring communities and cultures together as excitement builds towards the global event that begins with hosts and defending champions Australia taking on India at Sydney Showground Stadium on Friday 21 February 2020. The 44-day tour will visit over 40 locations and will showcase stories about inspiring women from communities across Australia, a nod to the tournament campaign ‘It’s the Big Dance, and the women are leading’. Fans will be able to get up close with the trophy at various locations including Sydney, Bowral, Newcastle, Brisbane, Ballarat, Bendigo, Perth, Canberra, Melbourne, Hobart and Adelaide with the full schedule available at t20worldcup.com/trophytour. With bushfires devastating families, communities and wildlife across Australia, the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 will use the Trophy Tour as a platform to promote bushfire emergency relief efforts, which includes encouraging the global cricket family to support fundraising through our charity partner UNICEF Australia. Read the statement here. Speaking at the Bondi launch, four-time ICC T20 World Cup winner Alyssa Healy said; “The build-up to the ICC T20 World Cup is the biggest that I’ve ever experienced before. You can feel that it’s going to be a special event and we can’t wait to face India in the opening match at Sydney Showground. India have been a bogey team for us at the last couple of World Cups, so we hope with a home crowd behind us, we can put that right and start the tournament on the right note.” The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Trophy Tour is driven by Nissan. Nissan has been a global partner of the International Cricket Council since 2015, and will provide a range of vehicles to move the trophy across the country. Managing Director of Nissan Australia, Stephen Lester said; “Nissan is proud to support the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Trophy Tour. We are delighted to help share the excitement of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup throughout Australia, by driving the trophy to all corners of the country” “We are honoured to support female sport on the global stage, and be part the tournament finale in March at the MCG that’s aiming to break global audience records for female sport.” ICC T20 World Cup Local Organising Committee CEO Nick Hockley said; “The Trophy Tour is an opportunity for communities around Australia to be part of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Fans will get a unique chance to get up close with the trophy as it visits iconic landmarks, community events and schools.” “The tour will also provide a platform to celebrate trailblazing women around the country as we build-up towards the best cricketers in the world taking centre stage in venues around Australia.” “We have the opportunity to set a new benchmark for a women’s sporting event, so we’re calling on fans in Australia and around the world to get their tickets and be part of this amazing global momentum we are seeing in sport for women and girls.”

Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD (January 8, 2020):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday announced the umpire and match referee appointments for the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2020, which will be staged in South Africa from 17 January to 9 February. Experienced umpires Wayne Knights and Ravindra Wimalasiri will take charge of the opening match of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup after the officials for South Africa 2020 were confirmed. New Zealand’s Knights and Wimalasiri of Sri Lanka – who have taken charge of 71 ODI and T20I matches between them – will officiate when hosts South Africa play Afghanistan in the Kimberley opener on January 17. Rashid Riaz Waqar will be the TV umpire for the first of 48 games in the tournament, with a 19-strong team of match officials confirmed by the International Cricket Council. Among those taking charge will be veteran Ian Gould, whose esteemed senior international career came to an end when he retired during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 on home soil. The Englishman will join forces with Ahmad Shah Pakteen when India get the defence of their title underway against Sri Lanka in Bloemfontein, one of five group-stage matches he will officiate as on-field umpire. In all, 16 umpires from 12 different countries will be on the field for five matches each in the first stage of the U19 World Cup, with eight also performing the role of TV umpire. The list includes five umpires who looked after the 2019 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier late last year, including Sam Nogajski – who was on duty for the final between Papua New Guinea and Netherlands. The Australian will take the reins for an historic occasion, with Japan playing their very first match in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup when they face New Zealand in Potchefstroom. Iknow Chabi, of Zimbabwe, will join Nogajski out in the middle. Nigeria will become the 31st different team to take part in the event when they face Australia, the second-most successful side since the competition first began in 1988 as the Youth Cricket World Cup. Bangladesh umpire Masudur Rahman Mukul and Nigel Duguid, of West Indies, will be raising their finger in that match, on January 20 in Kimberley. The pool stages will also see an Ashes rivalry revisited at youth level, with Adrian Holdstock and Asif Yaqoob in the middle for Australia’s clash with England, also at Kimberley, three days later. The 16 umpires will be joined by three match referees for the duration of the tournament, with former Sri Lanka international Graeme Labrooy officiating alongside home official Shaid Wadvalla and England’s Phil Whitticase. ICC Senior Manager - Umpires and Referees, Adrian Griffith: “The U19 Cricket World Cup is a very important event in our calendar as it brings together the world’s most promising young players in a major ICC tournament, giving them the experience of competing on the global stage. “We are committed to appointing the finest officials available and I have every confidence in the team travelling to South Africa for the U19 Cricket World Cup they will do a fine job. I wish them all the best.” Umpire and match referee appointments for the knockout stages will be announced after the teams have been confirmed. The appointments for the Plate and Super League final will be finalised after the semi-finals. The officials for the tournament are: Umpires: Roland Black, Ahmad Shah Pakteen, Sam Nogajski, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, Ian Gould, Wayne Knights, Rashid Riaz Waqar, Anil Chaudhary, Patrick Bongani Jele, Iknow Chabi, Nigel Duguid, Ravindra Wimalasiri, Masudur Rahman Mukul, Asif Yaqoob, Leslie Reifer, Adrian Holdstock Match Referees: Graeme Labrooy, Shaid Wadvalla, Phil Whitticase

SB News LAHORE (January 7, 2020):-Batting and wicketkeeping prodigy Rohail Nazir will be leading Pakistan in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2020. But, four years ago, the Islamabad-born was not sure whether he had what it took to thrive in competitive cricket. Like numerous cricket stars in the country, his ‘love affair’ with the game had begun by playing tape-ball cricket in his neighbourhood. He took inspiration from his elder brother, Tahir Nazir, who is one of the prominent tape-ball players and growing up Rohail wanted to emulate his brother’s heroics with the bat. He shifted his focus to wicketkeeping on the advice of his coach while starting off his career. But, the start was not a rosy one. In 2015, Rohail was left disheartened after failing his first-ever PCB-Pepsi U16 trials. Next year, he returned again, and left with a thumping impression. In the PCB-Pepsi U16 two-day tournament in 2016, Rohail made 394 runs in four matches which earned him a spot in the U16 series against Australia in the UAE in 2017. He grabbed the opportunity with both hands; hitting two centuries in three innings in the one-day series on his way to 258 series runs. In three T20 matches, he accumulated 99 runs with the help of one half-century. He carried his good form over to the National U19 Inter-Regional One-Day Tournament 2017. In eight matches, he scored 406 runs at 67.67. In the three-day version, Rohail scored 508 runs in five matches with the help of one century and four half-centuries, averaging 63.50. In 2018, Rohail Nazir made his debut in first-class cricket. And, last year in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2019-20, he scored 320 runs in the six matches he played, including two fifties in the final. In his team Northern’s first innings, Rohail scored a fighting 80 (115 balls, 12 fours) to rescue his side with a 155-run partnership with Faizan Riaz after they had collapsed to 69 for five. Rohail followed his first innings heroics with a 96-ball 70 with the help of nine fours.  Rohail’s admires Ahmed Shehzad and wants to pick his brains on the art of batsmanship. His favourite cricketer is AB de Villiers and has been mentored by Imad Wasim, with whom he used to practice in Islamabad. He enjoys playing the ball off the backfoot and the shot which he enjoys the most is the backfoot punch. Rohail Nazir on his early days, interest and ambition in cricket: “I aspired of becoming a cricketing star in my childhood and my family supported me from the beginning which made things easy for me. “I had failed in the 2015 PCB-Pepsi U16 trials which broke my heart. At that time I felt my strength is tape-ball cricket and maybe I would need to stick to that as hard-ball cricket was not meant for me. But on the insistence of my brothers and friends, I gave trials the next year and succeeded. “My performances against Australia U16 gave me tremendous confidence. Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim, who also hails from Islamabad, has been a great support to me. We used to practice at the Diamond Cricket Club in Islamabad and Imad used to encourage me a lot and used to praise me on my performances at various levels.” Rohail is already a sought-after property in the HBL Pakistan Super League. After having spent a season with Islamabad United, Rohail has been picked-up by Multan Sultans for the 2020 edition of the prestigious T20 league. The wicketkeeper-batsman has already represented Pakistan in ACC Youth U19 Asia Cup 2017, 2018 and 2019 besides playing the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2018 in New Zealand. Arguably, the biggest moment of Rohail’s short career to date came in the recent ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup final in Bangladesh when his century against the hosts helped Pakistan annex the title. Rohail has also held his own in senior cricket, besides scoring a century for Islamabad Region against HBL on his first-class debut (130 off 194 balls, 15 fours, one six), Rohail has had impressive returns in Patron’s Trophy Grade II, National T20 Cup and Quaid-e-Azam One-Day Cup. Having featured in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2018 besides his numerous appearances for Pakistan’s representative and age-group sides, Rohail will enter the 2020 edition of the U19 World Cup as one of the most experienced and established players at this level. Pakistan ICC U19 Cricket World Cup squad: Rohail Nazir (captain and wicketkeeper), Abbas Afridi (Peshawar), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Quetta), - Amir Ali (Larkana), Amir Khan (Peshawar), Arish Ali Khan (Karachi), Fahad Munir (Lahore),  Haider Ali (vice-captain), Qasim Akram (Lahore), Mohammad Haris (Peshawar), Mohammad Huraira (Sialkot), Mohammad Irfan Khan (Lahore),  Mohammad Shehzad (Multan), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (North Waziristan), Tahir Hussain (Multan) Team management:-Ijaz Ahmed (head coach-cum-manager), Rao Iftikhar Anjum (bowling coach), Abdul Majeed (assistant coach), Saboor Ahmad (trainer), Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rasul (physiotherapist), Usman Hashmi (analyst), Emmad Ahmed Hameed (media manager) and Col (retd) Usman Riffat Anwari (security manager).

SB News KARACHI (January 7, 2020):-In a bid to prepare for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia, a three-team T20 tournament will be held at Karachi’s National Stadium from Thursday. The National Triangular T20 Women’s Cricket Championship is an eight-day-long tournament, in which PCB Blasters, PCB Challengers and PCB Dynamites will come face to face for national glory. The final, to be played on 16 January, will be played under floodlights. To maximise the reach of the women’s game, the contest will be live-streamed on the PCB’s YouTube channel. To provide opportunities to fans to watch the action up-close and promote the game amongst girls, Hanif Mohammad and Javed Miandad enclosures will be opened throughout the tournament with free entry for spectators. The winning team will bag PKR500,000, while the runners-up will get PKR250,000. The best performer of the tournament, the player of the championship, will be awarded PKR25,000 and the player of the match, for every game, will get PKR10,000. Urooj Mumtaz, the chair of the national women’s selection committee, said: “The upcoming T20 tournament provides a great opportunity to the players to prepare for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. This is also an opportunity for all the participating players to leave a mark and put forward their case for the selection. “The decision to play the final of the tournament under lights is taken to emulate the conditions in the T20 World Cup as Pakistan will be playing two of their four group matches under floodlights. “The profile of women’s cricket has grown over the past few years and the decision to live-stream the final is going to attract more fans towards the game.” Schedule: Thursday, 9 Jan: PCB Blasters v PCB Dynamites, 12pm – Match referee: Ahmer Saeed, On-field umpires: Khalid Mahmood Snr and Nazir Butt Friday, 10 Jan: PCB Blasters v PCB Challengers, 12pm – Match referee: Ali Gohar, On-field umpires: Imtiaz Iqbal and Saleema Imtiaz Saturday, 11 Jan: PCB Dynamites v PCB Challengers, 12pm – Match referee: Athar Liaq, On-field umpires: Alay Haider and Abdul Qayyum Sunday, 12 Jan: PCB Dynamites v PCB Blasters, 12pm – Match referee: Amiruddin Ansari, On-field umpires: Shamim Ansari and Shakeel Ahmed Monday, 13 Jan: PCB Challengers v PCB Blasters, 12pm – Match referee: Aleem Moosa, On-field umpires: Tahir Rasheed and Azizur Rehman Tuesday, 14 Jan: PCB Challengers v PCB Dynamites, 12pm – Match referee: Mohammad Javed, On-field umpires: Imran Jawed and Nuzhat Sultana Thursday, 16 Jan: FINAL, 7pm – Match referee: Iftikhar Ahmed, On-field umpires: Khalid Mahmood Snr and Imtiaz Iqbal Squads: PCB Blasters - Rameen Shamim (c), Aliya Riaz, Anum Amin, Ayesha Nasim, Hurraini Sajjad, Javeria Khan, Javeria Rauf, Maham Tariq, Natalia Pavaiz, Neha Sharmin Nadeem, Noreen Yaqoob, Sadaf Shams, Sidra Nawaz and Tuba Hassan Team officials – Waqar Orakzai (coach), Shakir Qayyum (assistant coach), Mahlaka Mansoor (manager) and Riffat Asghar Gill (Physiotherapist) PCB Challengers - Bismah Maroof (c), Aiman Anwar, Aroob Shah, Ayesha Zafar, Fatima Sana, Hafsa Khalid, Muneeba Ali, Najiha Alvi, Nida Dar, Saba Nazir, Sadia Iqbal, Waheeda Akhtar, Hafsa Amjad and Khadija Chishti Team officials – Amir Iqbal (coach), Shahid Mehmood (assistant coach), Aisha Jalil (manager) and Saima Malik (physiotherapist) PCB Dynamites – Nahida Khan (c), Diana Baig, Fareeha Mehmood, Ghulam Fatima, Irum Javed, Kainat Hafeez, Kainat Imtiaz, Lubna Behram, Masooma Jaffri, Nashra Sandhu, Omaima Sohail, Sana Mir, Sidra Amin and Umme Hani Team officials – Kamran Hussain (coach), Ali Niazi (assistant coach), Rabail Khalid (manager) and Sajida Fajar (physiotherapist)

By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (January 6, 2020):-Sarfaraz Ahmed, the captain of the Pakistan side which lifted the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2006, made a visit to the ongoing Pakistan Under-19 camp at the National Cricket Academy on Monday and shared his experience of playing the biggest age-group cricket tournament. Pakistan boasts two U19 World Cup wins – the last one came under the wicketkeeper-batsman’s captaincy in 2006 with a memorable win over arch-rivals India by 38 runs in a low-scoring final in Colombo. After leading his country to the title, Sarfaraz made his debut for Pakistan national men’s team the next year in an ODI against India at Jaipur. He believes the upcoming ICC U19 Cricket World Cup, which will be played in South Africa from 17 January to 9 February, will serve as a stepping stone for the teenaged cricketers in the squad. Sarfaraz Ahmed said: “I have told the boys this is a perfect platform to graduate to the next level as we had also gone through this route. “Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi are prime examples, as they came from this set-up and are now a part of the national team. “I have a feeling that this team has the capability to beat any team in the competition and has the fire power to win the tournament. The momentum is on their side. They’ve had a good 2019 as they performed very well in South Africa and other recent series. “I have great memories of my time in the U19 side. The best one is the final which we won in the 2006 World Cup. The way we won it, I am going to remember it for the rest of my life. We had a brilliant time and we played like one.” Pakistan start their ICC U19 World Cup campaign on 19 January against Scotland U19. The Rohail Nazir-led side is in Group C with Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and Scotland. Pakistan ICC U19 Cricket World Cup squad: Rohail Nazir (captain and wicketkeeper), Abbas Afridi (Peshawar), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Quetta), Amir Ali (Larkana), Amir Khan (Peshawar), Arish Ali Khan (Karachi), Fahad Munir (Lahore),  Haider Ali (vice-captain), Qasim Akram (Lahore), Mohammad Haris (Peshawar), Mohammad Huraira (Sialkot), Mohammad Irfan Khan (Lahore),  Mohammad Shehzad (Multan), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (North Waziristan), Tahir Hussain (Multan) Team management – Ijaz Ahmed (head coach-cum-manager), Rao Iftikhar Anjum (bowling coach), Abdul Majeed (assistant coach), Saboor Ahmad (trainer), Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rasul (physiotherapist), Usman Hashmi (analyst), Emmad Ahmed Hameed (media manager) and Col (retd) Usman Riffat Anwari (security manager).

SB News ISLAMABAD (January 6, 2020):-Japan boast a global reputation for productivity but their rapid emergence onto cricket’s global scene has surprised even the most positive of supporters. Later this month, Dhugal Bedingfield’s side will rub shoulders with India, England, Australia et al, ready to pit their wits against the biggest forces in the game at the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup. But three years ago they didn’t even have an U19 team let alone one capable of sharing a global stage with players who possess IPL contacts, such as India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal and Anuj Rawat. Still, Japan is known for creating things: cars, electronics and robots are its specialism, but in this case a pathway from school fields to international fields has been formed. Japan may not be regarded as a cricket powerhouse but it may just become one. A summer camp in August 2017 convinced Japan Cricket there was sufficient talent and enthusiasm to build a U19 team. That came after four years of sweat, blood and toil in promoting the game after a structure was first put in place following an ICC grant for a targeted pilot participation programme. They ambitiously bid and won the rights to stage the East Asia-Pacific Qualifier last year, selecting a young group of players they were hoping to blood for 2021. However, they beat Samoa by 170 runs in the tournament opener and qualified with ease – going unbeaten through the tournament. As anyone who has ever visited Tokyo can attest, things tend to happen rather quickly in Japan. “People might be surprised that Japan is playing cricket and there might not be an historic culture in the country, but that is not to say we can’t be good at it,” said Alan Curr, head of operations at Japan Cricket. “Eleven of the boys that played in the qualifiers are able to play again in two years, which shows how far we have come. We are two years ahead of what we expected. “We are not expecting to knock over India but we are hoping to come away with our reputation as a cricketing nation enhanced. “A lot of people have said how great it is but we are not there to make up the numbers. We don’t expect to tear up any trees but if we can bag a win or two then that would be great.” It would be unwise to discount Japan. They boast plenty of talent, led by Marcus Thurgate, who scored a half-century in each of their qualifiers. He is also the team’s captain, wicket-keeper and star batsman – filling in anywhere in the top order. Neel Date, an opening batsman, is another to look out for while off-spinner Yugandhar Retharekar has the best economy figures in the Japanese senior league last season, despite being just 16 years old. His five for 18 helped set-up a four-wicket win against Fiji in Japan’s final qualifier, while fellow spinner Masato Morita will hope to find pitches that suit his leg-breaks. “If we can maintain the learning curve we are on right now then we will only get better,” Curr added. “We only meet up four times a year and we have qualified for a World Cup. We knew we would have to do a lot of work with them. With the tournament being in January and February, which is in the middle of our winter and there are no indoor training facilities in Japan, we have had to get creative. “We had a coach called Rohan O’Neill come over from Victoria to work with the boys for six weeks, so they have been through some intense training and they have improved – although there is a long way to go.” There might be. But Japan has already gained considerable ground.

Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD (January 6, 2020):-The upcoming limited overs series between the West Indies and Ireland will be contested trialing technology that will authorise the third umpire to call front foot no balls, like during West Indies’ recent ODI and T20I tour of India. During the trial, which will be carried out in all three ODIs and three T20Is, the third umpire will monitor each ball for any front foot infringement and communicate it to the on-field umpire to call a no ball. The on-field umpires will not call any front foot no balls unless instructed by the third umpire, but will remain responsible for other on-field decisions in the usual way. The benefit of the doubt will lie with the bowler, and if a late no ball call is communicated, then the on-field umpire will rescind a dismissal (if applicable) and signal a no ball. The outcomes of the trial will be used to gauge whether the system has a beneficial impact on the accuracy of no ball decisions and whether it can be implemented while minimizing disruption to the flow of the game. The International Cricket Council (ICC) had trialled no ball technology for the first time during a one-day series between England and Pakistan in 2016.

MB Khan RAWALPINDI (January 5, 2020):-Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner (DC) XI have won the Rawalpindi Women’s T 10 Cricket League Tournament after beating Multan by 44 runs in the final at Wiqar-un-Nisa College ground on Sunday. The brilliant player of the winner team Nameera was declared best player of the decisive fixture. Multan’s captain was announced the best player of the tournament. Multan team’s captain Bakhtawar won the toss and invited the opponent to bat first. DC Elevens piled a massive score 105 for 5 runs 10 overs. Amna scored 21 runs and Ayesha scored 19 runs while Multan Captain Bakhtawar got 2 wickets and the other brilliant bowler Samiya, Nadia and Maida got 1 wicket each. Mutlan could manage 61 for 6 runs on the board in allotted 10 overs.  Losing captain was not out on 40 runs, which made her performance prominent. DC Eleven team player Nameera got 3 wickets whereas Saba got 1 wicket. DSO Shams Toheed distributed the prizes along with the president of Youth Education and Sports Welfare society Zahid Awan. Professor Maryam, Nasir Aslam Raja, Snober Gul, Shafqat Niazi and Doctor Mohammad Hussain were also present on this occasion. In the final match Saleem Butt and Waqar performed the duty of empires and Saba Malik took the responsibility of scoring.     

Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD (January 5, 2020):-Right from the word go the International Cricket Council (ICC) Under-19 Cricket World Cup has acted as a petri dish for the progress of cricket’s emerging nations, with an ICC Associates XI entered in the inaugural event in 1988. From those early steps to memorable performances from Nepal, Namibia and Afghanistan in recent years, the age-group showpiece has acted as a vehicle for Associates to turn dreams into reality. And for Canada’s Nitish Kumar, it helped him make history. The all-rounder from Scarborough, Ontario has been representing his country for nearly a decade, starting in earnest at the 2010 U19 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand. Kumar was thrown in at the deep end of the international game, becoming the second-youngest player in ODI history when lining up against Afghanistan in February 2010. The U19 World Cup helped him consolidate those experiences and then equipped him for the biggest stage as he became the youngest-ever player to feature at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, figuring in Canada’s defeat to Zimbabwe in February 2011 aged 16 years and 283 days. “It was so special to be able to represent your country at such a prestigious event as the U19 World Cup,” said Kumar, now 25. “It was a competitive environment and we played against some of the best players in our age-group. “To succeed at the tournament, you need clear plans and to trust your skills. You’ve made it to that stage for a reason and you must believe you’re good enough to win every game. “It gives you an opportunity to measure your skills against the best in the world at your age. From there you are able to identify areas for improvement.” The U19 Cricket World Cup has always been a truly global gathering and Netherlands’ Tim De Leede and Canada’s Nicholas Ifill progressed from the 1988 Associates XI to gain Men’s Cricket World Cup experiences. In recent years Eoin Morgan, Rashid Khan, Steven Taylor, Kyle Coetzer and Mark Chapman have been some of the more recognisable names to star for Associate nations at the U19 World Cup. Chirag Suri batting againts Scotland Chirag Suri appeared for UAE in the 2014 tournament on home soil, where the host nation gained vital experience in a group with England, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Hitting a half-century as his side came close to beating the Kiwis, Suri says the event suffused his side with belief they could challenge top-ranking nations. “This tournament definitely makes you believe in yourself as a cricketer and competing against the best only makes you a more competent and consistent player,” said Suri. “It’s a great place to be and to see where you stand as a player on the international stage amongst the best of your age. “It’s an incredible experience which players will share with their kids one day, you have to make every moment enjoyable and not leave anything in the changing room. “Personally, scoring a 50 against a Test nation like New Zealand and going incredibly close against them, and facing Sri Lanka and England, really made me believe in my ability and the potential of the team.” Associate nations will once again be out in force at the 2020 renewal of the event, set for South Africa from 17 January – 9 February. Nigeria and Japan secured qualification for the first time through victory at Africa and EAP Division One events, while Canada, UAE and Scotland will once again take part. Suri underlines that players who strut their stuff at the U19 World Cup have a unique opportunity – to launch their career in front of a global audience. “The U19 World Cup can be very pivotal for the next stage of your career if you’re a young player,” said Suri. “We have seen players doing well in these tournaments and with the confidence they get from it, going on to become the best of the world. “Virat Kohli is a prime example. I've been following him since his U19 World Cup appearance and look at his journey until today. “There isn’t a better platform to showcase your skills than this one.”