The ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup is underway as the next generation of talent from 16 countries descends on Zimbabwe and Namibia for the 16th edition of the competition.
The tournament has provided the platform for many of the game’s superstars and household names to launch their careers. Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dewald Brevis and Kwena Maphaka have been named the standout players in recent years.
The 2010 England squad included Jos Buttler, Joe Root and Ben Stokes, but they have not tasted success since their only win in 1998 – Rob Key and Graeme Swann were among those involved.
More recent graduates include Harry Brook (2018) and Jacob Bethell (2024), with the 15-strong 2026 cohort providing the final look at potential future England internationals – most of whom have already had experience of county cricket.
England start their Group B campaign against Pakistan in Harare on Friday, where they will also meet co-hosts Zimbabwe and neighbors Scotland for a place in the Super 6 stage.
Australia captain Oliver Peake, India’s 14-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Pakistan opener Sameer Minhas are expected to make a big impression, but who are some of the key names to look out for in an England shirt?
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Thomas Rew
The youngest of the highly regarded Rew brothers, 18-year-old sensation Thomas, will lead the England squad after representing the Lions in Australia, including a first-class debut and an impressive half-century against a strong England XI at Lilac Hill.
The wicketkeeper-batsman, who stood out with his dazzling batting skills, enjoyed a productive series against India in 2025 – most notably a match-winning 131 from 89 balls at Northampton – and hit an unbeaten 71 in a warm-up match against the same opponent earlier this week.
Centurion for the Professional County Club Select
A potential star of this World Cup and a meteoric rise that shows no signs of slowing down, with higher honors to come.
Farhan Ahmed
Another with family ties is Nottinghamshire off-spinner Farhan Ahmed, whose older brother Rehan was also part of the side that narrowly fell short in 2022.
Ahmed has been involved in the Under-19 set-up since the age of 15 and has been appointed as Rew’s deputy for the tournament after captaining the side on the recent tour to the Caribbean, during which he also showcased his skills with bat in hand.
After bursting onto the scene by becoming the youngest bowler to claim a five-wicket haul in County Championship history during the 2024 season, Ahmed enjoyed a prolific 2025 campaign that included eight appearances in Notts’ Championship title success, a T20 Blast hat-trick and a franchise deal in the Hundred.
Like the Rew’s, the Ahmed brothers are also both tipped to be future regulars for the England senior side – Rehan was the youngest Test debutant in 2022 – and 17-year-old Farhan could be considered as a long-term solution to their spin conundrum in the longest format.
Ralphie Albert
The Surrey all-rounder, grandson of snooker legend Jimmy White, capped a promising year of progress in 2025 by signing his first professional contract with the county in October.
Albert impressed in the two Youth Test matches against India last summer with a score of fifty at Beckenham and a ten-wicket haul at Chelmsford, while most recently he made a match-winning contribution with both bat and ball in their warm-up win over New Zealand.
The left-arm spinner made his Surrey debut in the One-Day Cup, hitting 96 at Trent Bridge in his only innings, before playing in the final County Championship match of the season against Hampshire, registering a half-century and two wickets.
Ben Dawkins
The South African-born batsman will play a key role at the top of the order, especially in the absence of the highly talented Isaac Mohammed, who was recently ruled out of the tournament due to a thumb injury.
Dawkins registered a Youth Test century and three consecutive YODI half-centuries during the series against India, before making his first-class debut for Kent, passing fifty twice in four appearances towards the end of the 2025 season.
The One-Day Cup participation also proved rewarding with an average above 50, notably a maiden professional century – 111 not out from 105 balls – away in Northamptonshire, and the 19-year-old has arrived here in good form after scores of 97 and 78 during the November tour to the West Indies.
PHOTO: Alamy
Alex Green
The Leicestershire academy product hit the headlines last season with a stunning breakthrough campaign in the One-Day Cup, where the stalwart 6ft 4in seamer returned three five-wicket hauls in seven matches to finish the group stage as the joint-leading bowler in the competition.
Green is a regular at the Under-19s and is yet to really flourish in the same way on the international stage, but he will hope he can make an impact here as part of an exciting pace unit.
Ben Mayes
The wicketkeeper-batsman is no stranger to this marquee event, having played in two domestic finals for Hampshire in his professional career.
Mayes was elevated to the T20 Blast squad in the crucial quarter-final after a promising maiden One-Day Cup campaign with 230 runs and two half-centuries, including an expertly judged match-winning knock in an all-out chase against Derbyshire.
A highly rated talent, he managed just two double-figure scores in seven innings against the West Indies and will look to showcase his true capabilities at third.
James Minto
The left-arm quick went viral at the end of the 2024 season for a fierce bouncer delivered to seasoned pro Rory Burns at the Kia Oval, a match in which a then 16-year-old debutant became the youngest bowler since the Second World War to take a first-class wicket.
The newest fast bowler off the Durham production line, Minto made just four appearances for the county in the 2025 season but continued to rewrite their history books by becoming their youngest ever half-centurion as nightwatchman against Nottinghamshire.
An angle and a point of difference in attack as a left-armer naturally creates excitement around any young bowler, but Minto has been in excellent form for the Under-19s in recent months and has 24 YODI career wickets at an average of 21.79, while also claiming 5-34 against India in Monday’s warm-up match.
Sebastian Morgan
Like Farhan, bowler Morgan is the only other member of the squad who has also been selected for the 2024 edition.
The Middlesex academy graduate took two wickets on his senior debut in the T20 Blast against Gloucestershire in July and also struck in each of his four List A appearances the following month.
Primarily a new-ball bowler, Morgan has also demonstrated his abilities with the bat when he made a valuable 61 off 53 balls to help Middlesex secure a narrow one-wicket win against Lancashire in the One-Day Cup, before scoring 97 at Lord’s against Gloucestershire in the final round of the County Championship.
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