KARACHI, Jan 24: Pakistan’s Under-19 team will play two away series later this year as part of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) plan to groom promising youngsters, a PCB official said on Wednesday.

The Under-19 squad would visit Australia and England this year, Director Marketing and Communication PCB Dr Ahsan Malik told a press conference here at the National Stadium on Wednesday.

Malik added the team would visit Australia to play five one-dayers in March before touring England to play equal number of limited overs matches there besides featuring in two unofficial tests in July.

However, the final schedule of both the tours is yet to be finalised, he said.

Malik added that both the U-19 tours are in light of PCB’s programme to polish youngsters who could prove to be valuable assets for the national team in future.

Malik said boys from among the 25 school players, who are undergoing training at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore after being picked from the recently held National Schools Championship, could be selected for the upcoming tours. —PPI