ICC U19 Cricket World Cup: Previews, predictions & players to watch

Sport360 staff 12:19 13/02/2014
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  • Reigning champions: India won the tournament back in 2012.

    As the U-19 Cricket World Cup goes underway this weekend in the UAE, here is a look at all 16 competing squads as well as Sport360°'s tournament prediction. Everything you need to know about the teams, mentors, players and who to look out for :

    AFGHANISTAN

    Coach: Dawlat Khan

    Captain: Nasir Jamal
    Best performance: 10th place (2012)
    Player to watch: Hashmatullah Shaidi
    Our prediction: Group Stage

    Squad: Nasir Jamal, Abdullah Adil, Fareed Malik, Hashmatullah Shaidi, Ihsanullah Janat, Moham-mad Mujtaba, Munir Ahmad, Muslim Musa, Sayed Shirzad, Sayed Waheedullah Shafaq, Shahidullah Kamal, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Usman Ghani, Younas Khan Ahmadzai, Zia-ur-Rehman Akbar.

    AUSTRALIA

    Coach: Graeme Hick
    Captain: Thomas Andrews
    Best performance: Winners (1988, 2002, 2010)
    Player to watch: Guy Walker
    Our prediction: Final

    Squad: Thomas Andrews, Ben Ashkenazi, James Bazley, Jake Doran, Matthew Fotia, Alex Gregory, Ben McDermott, Jaron Morgan, Damien Mortimer, Matthew Short, Kelvin Smith, Billy Stanlake, Cameron Valente, Guy Walker, Sean Willis.

    BANGLADESH

    Coach: Mohammad Mizanur Rahman
    Captain: Mohammad Mehidy Hassan Miraz
    Best performance: Quarter-finals (2012)
    Player to watch: Nazmul Hossain Shanto
    Our prediction: Quarter-finals

    Squad: Mohammad Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Abu Hider Rony, Joyraj Sheik Imon, Jubair Hossain, Litton Kumer Das, Mohammad Mustafizur Rah-man, Mohammad Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mo-hammad Noor Alam Saddam, Mohammad Shad-man Islam, Mohammad Zakir Hasan, Musaddek Hossain Saikat, Nihad-uz-Zaman, Rahatul Ferdous Javed, Saeed Sarker, Yasir Ali Chowdhury.

    CANADA

    Coach: Ingleton Liburd
    Captain: Nitish Kumar
    Best performance: 11th place (2010)
    Player to watch: Nitesh Kumar
    Our prediction: Group Stage

    Squad: Nitish Kumar, Sudeepta Aurka, Gurkaran Dhillon, Nikhil Dutta, Farhan Malik, Amanpal Gillar, Stephan Joseph, Aniket Joshi, Armaan Kapoor, Abraash Khan, Trevor Manoosingh, Stephan Rajasingam, Yug Rao, Talha Shaik, Keenen Tinto.

    ENGLAND

    Coach: Tim Boon
    Captain: Will Rhodes
    Best performance: Winners (1998)
    Player to watch: Ben Duckett
    Our prediction: Quarter-finals

    Squad: Will Rhodes, Ed Barnard, Joe Clarke, Ben Duckett, Harry Finch, Matthew Fisher, Miles Hammond, Ryan Higgins, Rob Jones, Rob Sayer, Josh Shaw, Dominic Sibley, Jonathan Tattersall, Jack Winslade, Luke Wood.

    INDIA

    Coach: Bharat Arun
    Captain: Vijay Zol
    Best performance: Winners (2000, 2008, 2012)
    Player to watch: Sanju Samson
    Our prediction: Winners

    Squad: Vijay Zol, Ankush Bains, Ricky Bhui, Aamir Gani, Akhil Herwadkar, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Karan Kaila, Avesh Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, Monu Kumar, Chama Milind, Sanju Samson, Atit Sheth, Kuldeep Yadav.

    NAMIBIA

    Coach: Rangarirai Manyande
    Captain: Gerhard Erasmus
    Best performance: 16th place (2012)
    Player to watch: Malan Kruger
    Our prediction: Group Stage

    Squad: Gerhard Erasmus, Kobus Brand, Jano Coetzee, Marius Delport, Michau du Preez, Zane Green, Joshuan Julius, Jaen Kotze, Malan Kruger, Xander Pitchers, Wayne Raw, JJ Smit, Tiaan Snyman, Ricardo Strauss, Bredell Wessells.

    NEW ZEALAND

    Coach: Grant Bradburn
    Captain: Robert O’Donnell
    Best performance: Runners-up (1998)
    Player to watch: Kurtley Watson
    Our prediction: Group Stage

    Squad: Robert O’Donnell, Jeremy Benton, Leo Carter, Henry Collier, Josh Finnie, Shawn Hicks, Jack Hunter, Kyle Jamieson, Ken McClure, Brett Randell, Tim Seifert, Dane Watson, Kurtley Watson, Raki Weerasundara, Luke Williamson.

    PAKISTAN

    Coach: Azam Khan
    Captain: Sami Aslam
    Best performance: Winners (2004, 2006)
    Player to watch: Karamat Ali
    Our prediction: Semi-finals

    Squad: Sami Aslam, Ameer Hamza, Hasan Raza, Hussain Talat, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Rafiq, Irfanullah Shah, Kamran Ghulam, Karamat Ali, Mohammad Aftab, Saifullah Khan, Salman Saeed, Saud Shakeel, Zafar Gohar, Zia-ul-Haq.

    PAPUA NEW GUINEA 

    Coach: Peter Anderson
    Captain: Dogodo Bau
    Best performance: 14th place (2012)
    Player to watch: Kabua Morea
    Our prediction: Group Stage

    Squad: Dogodo Bau, Kiplin Doriga, Sakavai Gebai, Riley Hekure, Hiri Hiri, Mea Jimmy, Allan Joseph, Kabua Morea, Alei Nao, Micah Pokana, Nosaina Pokana, Raho Sam, Gaudi Toka, Anthony Vare, Tom Willie.

    SCOTLAND

    Coach: Craig Wright
    Captain: Ross McLean
    Best performance: Plate semi-finals (2012)
    Player to watch: Gavin Main
    Our prediction: Group Stage

    Squad: Ross McLean, Alex Baum, Ryan Brown, Will Edwards, Michael English, Nick Farrar, Chayank Gosain, Gavin Main, Zander Muir, Abdul Sabri, Chris Sole, Kyle Stirling, Andrew Umeed, Mark Watt, Stu Whittingham.

    SOUTH AFRICA

    Coach: Ray Jennings
    Captain: Aiden Markram
    Best performance: Runners-up (2002, 2008)
    Player to watch: Justin Dill
    Our prediction: Semi-finals

    Squad: Aiden Markram, Bradley Bopp, Corbin Bosch, Dirk Bruwer, Kirwin Christoffels, Justin Dill, Clyde Fortuin, Dayyaan Galiem, Sibonelo Makhanya, Greg Oldfield, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Ngazibini Sigwili, Jason Smith, Yaseen Valli.

    SRI LANKA

    Coach: Naveed Nawaz
    Captain: Kusal Mendis
    Best performance: Runners-up (2000)
    Player to watch: Anuk Fernando
    Our prediction: Quarter-finals

    Squad: Kusal Mendis, Minod Bhanuka, Hashan Dumindu, Binura Fernando, Anuk Fernando, Kavindu Kulasekara, Lakshan Jayasinghe, Ramesh Mendis, Priyamal Perera, Harsha Rajapaksha, Hashen Ramanayake, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Thilaksha Sumanasiri, AK Tyronne, Hashan Vimarshana.

    UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

    Coach: Aaqib Javed
    Captain: Rohit Singh
    Best performance: First appearance
    Player to watch: Moaaz Qazi
    Our prediction: Group Stage

    Squad: Rohit Singh, Shorye Chopra, Dan D’Souza, Moaaz Qazi, Mohammad Hamid, Justin James, Shiv Mehra, Omer Rizwan, Waruna Perera, Dhuruva Praveen, Pankaj Samant, Shahrukh Ahmed, Sunair Khan, Chirag Suri, Shivank Vijayakumar.

    WEST INDIES

    Coach: Roderick Estwick
    Captain: Ramaal Lewis
    Best performance: Runners-up (2004)
    Player to watch: Nicholas Pooran
    Our prediction: Quarter-finals

    Squad: Ramaal Lewis, Fabian Allen, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Bryan Charles, Tristan Coleman, Jonathan Drakes, Shimron Hetmyer, Jerome Jones, Ray Jordan, Brandon King, Preston McSween, Marquino Mindley, Gudakesh Motie, Nicolas Pooran, Jeremy Solozano.

    ZIMBABWE

    Coach: Walter Chawaguta
    Captain: Malcolm Lake
    Best performance: Sixth (2006)
    Player to watch: Ryan Burl
    Our prediction: Group Stage

    Squad: Malcolm Lake, Deven Bell, Ryan Burl, Herbert Chikomba, Kieran Geyle, Joylord Gumbie, Shoun Handirisi, Dylan Hondo, Luke Jongwe, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Charles Kunje, Patrick Mambo, Tarisai Musakanda, Cuthbert Musoko, Mkhululi Nyathi.

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