Pakistan’s U19 cricket team set to play first official youth int'l series at home in 15 years

KARACHI: Pakistan’s U19 cricket team is set to play its first official international series at its home ground in 15 years as the national cricket body confirmed that the Bangladesh U19 team is set to tour Pakistan.

While the dates of the tours are still not officially announced, it is understood that the tour will take place next month.

An official of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that the Bangladesh U19 team will be touring Pakistan to play one four-day game and five limited-over games and all the matches will be played in Faisalabad.

A final announcement in this regard is expected to be made later this week.

This will be the first official youth series in 15 years to be played in Pakistan. 

Pakistan last hosted an official youth series in 2007 when Bangladesh toured the country to play in Karachi. Men in Green were represented by Ahmed Shahzad, Shan Masood, Umar Amin, Imad Wasim and Umar Akmal in that series. 

Bangladesh also had would-be internationals like Tamim Iqbal, Rubel Hossain, Dolar Mohammad and Mohammad Mithun.

Afghanistan’s U19 team, though, toured Pakistan in 2014 but the games didn’t carry official Youth ODI status. Afghanistan side had the likes of Rashid Khan, Hazratullah Zazai, Naveen ul Haq and Karim Jannat who later went to represent their country.

Experts believe that the performers of the ongoing Pakistan Junior League (PJL) will also get an opportunity to don Pakistan’s colours during the U19 series against Bangladesh.