After the senior men's ICC Cricket World Cup concluded in November 2023, another much-awaited ICC tournament is around the corner. The Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2024 will be played from January 19 to February 11 in South Africa. India are the defending champions, having won the trophy in West Indies in 2022 - their fifth triumph. (More Cricket News)
The biennial event will feature the rising stars of 16 cricketing nations battling it out in 41 matches over 24 days, with five venues featuring the future of the international game. The venues are Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein, Kimberley Oval in Kimberley, JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom, Buffalo Park in East London and Willowmoore Park in Benoni.
But before the action begins, the teams will play two warm-up matches each to acquaint themselves with the conditions and finetune their preparations for the big tournament. The warm-up fixtures will take place in Johannesburg and Pretoria between 13 and 17 January.
The opening day of the warm-up matches will see the Pakistan colts taking on South Africa in St Stithians, Johannesburg. While Pakistan have named Saad Baig as their captain and will seek a strong start to their campaign, hosts South Africa will look to take advantage of home conditions.
Meanwhile, South Africa have relieved their captain David Keeger from captaincy duties ahead of the warm-up match. The reason is his comment pertaining to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict in Gaza.
"As is the case with all such events, CSA has been receiving regular security and risk updates regarding the World Cup. We have been advised that protests related to the war in Gaza can be anticipated at the venues for the tournament," Cricket South Africa said in a statement.
"We have also been advised that they are likely to focus on the position of the SA Under-19 captain, David Teeger, and that there is a risk that they could result in conflict or even violence, including between rival groups of protestors.
"CSA has a primary duty to safeguard the interests and safety of all those involved in the World Cup and must accordingly respect the expert advice of those responsible for the safety of participants and spectators.
"In all the circumstances, CSA has decided that David should be relieved of the captaincy for the tournament. This is in the best interests of all the players, the SA U19 team and David himself," the statement added.
The new captain is yet to be announced.
Squads
Pakistan: Saad Baig (c), Ali Asfand, Ali Raza, Ahmad Hassan, Amir Hassan, Arfat Minhas, Azan Awais, Haroon Arshad, Khubaib Khalil, Mohammad Zeeshan, Naveed Ahmed Khan, Shahzaib Khan, Shamyl Hussain, Muhammad Riazullah and Ubaid Shah
South Africa: Esosa Aihevba, Juan James, Martin Khumalo, David Teeger, Kwena Maphaka, Dewan Marias, Riley Norton, Nqobani Mokoena, Romashan Pillay, Sipho Potsane, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Richard Seletswane, Oliver Whitehead, Steve Stolk, and Ntando Zuma
Live Streaming, Telecast Details
Here are the live streaming details for the Pakistan U-19 vs South Africa U-19 warm-up match:-
When will the warm-up match be played?
The warm-up match will be played on Saturday, January 13, 2024 at 1:30pm IST.
Where will the warm-up match be played?
The match will be played at the St Stithians Main Oval in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Where to watch the live telecast of the warm-up match?
As of now, there is no official confirmation on the TV telecast of the match.
Where to live-stream the match?
There is no official word on the live-streaming of the match yet.
