LAHORE: A 20-member Pakistan U-19 squad will tour Bangladesh next month to play a series comprising a four-day match and five 50-over games against their Bangladesh counterparts that won the ICC U-19 World Cup in South Africa last year.

The captain of the touring team will be announced in due course of time.

As per the 2022 ICC U-19 World Cup age criteria, players born on or after Sept 1, 2002 have been selected to the Pakistan squad.

According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the tour has been arranged to provide further exposure to the country’s future stars following an extensive camp held at the start of the year at the National High Perfor­mance Centre in Lahore.

“The tour will also help prepare the players for next year’s ICC U-19 World Cup in the West Indies,” the PCB said.

Prior to the departure scheduled for April 12, the squad will play two 50-over practice matches besides a three-day match during a 10-day long camp that will run in Lahore from April 2-11.

“The 20-member squad has been chosen by the national junior selection committee in consultation with the Pakistan U-19 head coach,” added the PCB.

Six players who were part of the 2020 ICC U-19 World Cup in South Africa have been retained in the squad. They include Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Fahad Munir, Qasim Akram, Mohammad Irfan Niazi, Mohammad Shehzad and Tahir Hussain.

The players and the members of team management will be tested for Covid-19 before entering the camp, and those returning negative tests will move into a bio-secure bubble for the team that will be set up in Lahore.

The players and team management will be vaccinated for Covid-19 on April 8.

Squad:

Batsmen: Abbas Ali, Abdul Faseeh, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Fahad Munir, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Irfan Niazi, Mohammad Shehzad, Qasim Akram, Rizwan Mehmood

Wicket-keepers: Haseebullah, Raza-ul-Mustafa

Spinners: Aaliyan Mehmood, Ali Asfand, Arham Nawab, Faisal Akram

Fast bowlers: Ahmed Khan, Asim Ali, Muneeb Wasif, Tahir Hussain, Zeeshan Zameer

Officials: Ijaz Ahmed (head coach-cum-team manager), Imranullah (trainer), Rao Iftikhar (bowling coach), Mohtashim Rasheed (fielding coach), Hafiz Naeem (physiotherapist), Col Safdar Saeed (security manager), Faisal Rai (analyst), Emmad Ahmed Hameed (media manager).

Tour schedule:

April 12: Squad leaves for Dhaka

April 19-22: Four-day match, Sylhet

April 26: First 50-over match, Sylhet

April 28: Second 50-over match, Sylhet

April 30: Third 50-over match, Sylhet

May 3: Fourth 50-over match, Dhaka

May 5: Fifth 50-over match, Dhaka.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2021