Young Tigers depart today to defend the title

Bangladesh under-19 cricket team will embark on a new journey today as they will leave the country in the afternoon to defend their World Champion’s crown.

The junior Tigers are the holders of the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup which they won in 2020 by beating India in the final in South Africa.

The next edition of the youth World Cup will take place in the West Indies, from January 14 to February 5.

Before the U-19 World Cup, the young Tigers will take part in the ACC Youth Asia Cup starting from December 23 in the UAE.

From UAE, the Bangladesh team will fly to the Caribbeans where they will play against the England U-19 team at Warner Park, Basseterre in Saint Kitts.

Bangladesh are the current runners up of the youth Asia Cup, they lost the final to India by only five runs in 2019.

The young Tigers will be sharpening their skills in the Asia Cup before they launch the final attack in the U-19 World Cup later on.

Four members of the World Cup-winning Bangladesh U-19 team from 2020 are picked up for the 2022 edition as well.

Rakibul Hasan, the captain of the team, was part of the team in the last edition and Tanzim Hasan Sakib also played in 2020.

Prantik Nawrose Nabil and SM Meherob Hasan were also part of that team but they did not play any match.

AEM Kawser, game development manager at the Bangladesh Cricket Board, said that they are picking those cricketers to add some experience to the team,

“As there is a scope for picking them in the team and their age also permits, we took that opportunity. They are legally eligible to play. You have seen how the team made a great comeback in the India tour (Won the Triangular trophy in Kolkata). All they were lacking was a bit of experience and Rakibul-Tanzim added just the right thing into the mix”, he told the media at the BCB Academy on Monday.

Talha Jubair, the bowling coach of the Bangladesh U-19 team, told the media that they are gathering knowledge from the national team cricketers about the conditions of the venues.

“Our national team played in the UAE a few days back. I talked to Shakib (Al Hasan) and Mahmudullah about their experience as they played a good number of matches there and in the Caribbean Premier League as well. Most of our matches will take place at St Kitts, so far I heard the conditions there will be almost similar to ours, “said the former pacer.

But before going to the World Cup, there is the Asia Cup and Talha feels that the players must not get complacent with the success in the UAE.

“The UAE and the Caribbeans, it’s like chalk and cheese. The conditions will be different so the bowlers have to adjust their lengths accordingly. We must not get carried away if we succeed in the UAE because our main goal is the World Cup”, he told the reporters.

The Bangladesh U-19 team will leave for the UAE on Tuesday evening, on Friday they will play their first group stage match against Nepal at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

The young Tigers will take on Kuwait at the same venue on December 25 and in their last group stage match, they will face Sri Lanka on December 28.

If Bangladesh finishes among the top two teams from the group, they will play in the semifinal on December 30.

The final will take place on December 31.

All the matches will start at 9:30am local time.