IRELAND have been drawn in Group D of the ICC Under 19 World Cup which is being held in New Zealand from January 13th to February 3rd 2018.
It’s a tough group for the Boys In Green, who have been pooled with two-times champions Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
Ireland captain Harry Tector reflected on the draw saying “The guys are obviously delighted to be going to the U19 World Cup. It is a great stage to showcase their talents and we hope we can go to New Zealand and show how good a team we are.”
Ireland Head Coach Ryan Eagleson appreciated it was a tough draw but looked forward to the Irish playing on the global stage. ”
The boys showed great character to come through two tough games against Scotand to reach the finals. There’s no doubt it’s a very challenging group, but it’s a challenge the squad will embrace.
“There are some very talented players in the group which contains many players who are under 17, including Harry. It’ll be a fantastic opportunity for the players which will enrich their experience and stand them in good stead in their future.
“We’re working hard and have organised a training camp in Christchurch prior to the tournament which will give us an opportunity to acclimatise and hit the ground running when the tournament gets under way.”
The pool games take place in Whangarei, where they face Sri Lanka on Sunday January 14th in their opening match, before taking on Pakistantwo days later. Their final group match is against Afghanistan on Saturday 20th.
The Irish will spend a week prior to the tournament at a training camp in Christchurch, and then they will play two warm-up matches as part of the support period against England on January 9 and Canada on January 11.
The top two sides from each group will advance to the Super League while the remaining eight teams will figure in the plate championship.
The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of the Super League will be among the 20 matches to be broadcast live. The final will be played at Bay Oval in Tauranga on 3 February while both semifinals will be played at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on 29 and 30 January.
ICC Under 19 World Cup Fixtures
Cricket Ireland
No
Connaught
