The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the lineup of Match Officials appointed for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024, which will be held in South Africa from 19 January to 11 February.

An experienced roster of 16 Umpires and four Match Referees have been selected to officiate the competition, overseeing a total of 41 matches that will feature the best young cricketers on the planet.

Match Official appointments have also been confirmed for the initial group stage fixtures, which includes an accomplished team taking charge of the opening match between hosts South Africa and another former U19 champion nation, West Indies, in Potchefstroom on 19 January.

On-field Umpires for the fixture will be Roland Black (Ireland) and Gazi Sohel (Bangladesh). Black will be officiating in his third U19 Men’s CWC, while Sohel’s international career stretches back to 2012.

Former Sri Lanka international cricketer Graeme Labrooy will be Match Referee for the clash, in what will be his sixth appearance at the celebrated event.

Completing the lineup of officials for the hosts’ opener will be TV Umpire Rashid Riaz Waqar of Pakistan and Bismillah Jan Shinwari of Afghanistan as Fourth Umpire.

The following day, 20 January, will see defending champions India face off against Bangladesh in Bloemfontein, in what will be a repeat of the blockbuster 2020 final.

Australia’s Donovan Koch and West Indies’ Nigel Duguid will take charge of that fixture with Zimbabwe’s Langton Rusere as Fourth Umpire, and South African duo Allahudien Palekar as TV Umpire and Shaid Wadvalla as Match Referee.

Palekar will be one of two Umpires from the host nation appearing at the U19 Men’s CWC together with Bongani Jele, both of whom having enjoyed international careers spanning over a decade.

Jele will be joined by India’s K.N.A. Padmanabhan as on-field umpires for the first East London fixture between Pakistan and Afghanistan. India’s Narayanan Kutty will be Match Referee for the tie, with Australia’s Phil Gillespie and Zimbabwe’s Forster Mutizwa as TV Umpire and Fourth Umpire respectively.

Elsewhere, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe will play the first fixture at Kimberley on 21 January. The fixture will be officiated by Mike Burns and Patrick Gustard on-field, while Masudur Rahman Mukul of Bangladesh will assume the role of TV Umpire, Faisal Khan Afridi of Pakistan will be Fourth Umpire and England’s Wayne Noon will be Match Referee.

A schedule of Match Official appointments for group stage fixtures can be found here on the ICC’s Online Media Zone, with appointments for later stages announced in due course.

Speaking on the announcement of Match Officials at the event, ICC Manager – Umpires and Referees, Sean Easey said: “The U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup is a very important event in the ICC calendar. It has long been considered a platform for future stars of the sport to make a name for themselves and for many of the participating players in this year’s edition, it is their first taste of competing on the world stage.

Similarly, it is an important development event for the umpire pathway also. A diverse and motivated team of international match officials has been appointed, and I am confident that they will do an excellent job. I wish them the very best of luck across their time in South Africa.”

Match Officials at the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024

Umpires: Bismillah Jan Shinwari, Donovan Koch, Phil Gillespie, Gazi Sohel, Masudur Rahman Mukul, Mike Burns, K.N.A. Padmanabhan, Roland Black, Faisal Khan Afridi, Rashid Riaz Waqar, Allahudien Palekar, Bongani Jele, Patrick Gustard, Nigel Duguid, Langton Rusere, Forster Mutizwa

Match Referees: Graeme Labrooy, Shaid Wadvalla, Narayanan Kutty, Wayne Noon

It has been a decade since an 18-year-old Kagiso Rabada swayed the world’s attention in the United Arab Emirates.

Rabada, now the No.2-ranked bowler in the MRF Tyres ICC Rankings for Test bowlers, was making his first steps in international cricket at the time, at the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup.

The exciting pacer went on to take 14 wickets at 10.28 in the tournament, helping South Africa to the title, alongside senior international teammate Aiden Markram. 

“I remember we were really amped for our U19 World Cup,” Rabada said. “We went from playing against each other at the provincial level to playing with each other for South Africa.

“And that was a big deal because we could represent our country.”

Rabada looked back fondly at the emotions he experienced as he stepped onto the field for the first time.

“Back then, my mindset was to relish the environment that I was in and to announce myself on the world stage,” he said.

“It was extremely exciting, a pathway to my dreams to represent South Africa. And I was just itching to get on the park.”

His opening game, against West Indies, couldn’t have gone any better. Given the ball by captain Markram, and defending a modest total of 198 in Dubai, Rabada claimed the prized wicket of another future star, Shimron Heytmyer, off the fourth ball.

“From there, we ran through them,” Rabada said. “That was a great start to the competition, especially the way we had started with the bat in that game.”

Apart from Rabada and Markram, the tournament involved many other youngsters who are now household names – Kuldeep Yadav and Shreyas Iyer (India), Imam-ul-Haq (Pakistan) and Nicholas Pooran (West Indies).

Rabada still remembers the anticipation he had before bowling to Pooran. “Everyone was talking about Nicholas Pooran,” he remembered.

“And they were saying, ‘He’s a real star to watch out for’. And he drove me for a couple of boundaries and you can see what he does to date.”

After defeating West Indies, South Africa won their other group encounters with ease to march into the knockout stage. A brilliant century from Markram ensured an easy entry into the semi-finals, where the young Proteas squared up against Australia.

From 1999 to 2023, Cricket World Cup semi-finals between their senior sides have produced riveting contests. And the U19 clash in 2014 was no different.

South Africa started well with Markram and Fortuin, but Australia then fought back and restricted them to 230.

“I remember we started well with the bat in that game – Clyde Fortuin and Aiden Markram put up a good partnership [105 for the first wicket],” Rabada said.

“When we lost those two, Australia brought it back, and I think we got reduced to about 220 [230].”

It was then that Rabada really laid down a marker. He led the charge with the ball, picking a sensational 6/25 while running through the Australia top-order and blowing away the tail.

“We had to put in a good performance with the ball. We were nice and aggressive up front. Again, got some early wickets and from there, everyone was just on it. We took all our chances and the game was ours.”

A confident South Africa faced Pakistan in the Final, where Rabada continued to shine. He dismissed Imam early, and his economical 1/26 helped restrict Pakistan to 131.

The chase was still a high-pressure situation. “At that stage, having bowled them out for 130, our coach Ray Jennings, in the change room spoke about 10 runs at a time. And it did put us under pressure up front,” Rabada said.

A solid 71-run partnership for the third wicket, between Markram and Greg Oldfield, settled any nerves.

“I remember Aiden Markram and Greg Oldfield put up quite a big partnership in the scheme of the game and from there we kind of just cruised.

“When Bradley Dial hit the winning runs, we all jumped off the ledge and ran onto the field.”

The tournament was a solid introduction to high-pressure cricket for the young players.

“Every game was a huge game. And one had to deal with other mental challenges that come your way, whether it’s on the field or off the field,” Rabada said.

“You’re announcing yourself on the world stage with an Under-19 World Cup. There are more eyes on you, and you want to show the world how good you are.

“And when you are that age, you want to impress. Your competitive spirit comes out and you just keep living your dream.”

Ahead of the 2024 edition of the tournament, Rabada called on all the players in the tournament to seize the moment.

“My message before the World Cup is that it’s a huge privilege and honour to represent the country,” he said.

“As an individual, it’s a big stage to announce yourself and you can prove to everyone that you can dominate on the world stage.

“You can expect to see some future stars, and you can expect to see some future greats. And you can claim that you saw them first.”

The ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup in South Africa will begin on 19 January with the final set to be played on 11 February.

The ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 lies just ten days away, and preparations are in full flow as South Africa gears up to host the very best young cricketers in the world from 19 January.

The 15^th edition of the celebrated event will see 41 matches take place across 24 days of competition, with five host venues staging the action; Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein, Kimberley Oval in Kimberley, JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom, Buffalo Park in East London and Willowmoore Park in Benoni – the venue selected to host the semi-finals and final encounter on 11 February.

Fans wanting to catch a glimpse of the next generation of cricket superstars can do so for free throughout the tournament, and the thrilling action of the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup will be accompanied by a vibrant festival atmosphere at grounds, with braai areas, kids’ entertainment featuring jumping castles, face painting and more, live music offerings and a mini-cricket area for young fans to show off their own budding talents, ensuring a truly memorable experience for all.

With the start of the tournament fast approaching, teams are also entering the final stages of their preparations, and warm-up fixtures are set to take place across venues in Johannesburg and Pretoria between 13 and 17 January with spectators welcome to catch every ball, live.

Each team will play two warm-up fixtures before the main event commences on 19 January, and the opening round of fixtures offers plenty of drama and excitement as a host of rivals meet to start their World Cup campaigns.

Opening day (19 January) will see Potchefstroom host South Africa’s opening match against another former U19 champion, West Indies.

The young Proteas, led by captain David Teeger will be eager to start with a victory, and there is no shortage of excitement amongst the group.

South Africa U19 skipper Teeger: “The team and I cannot wait for the World Cup to start. The opportunity to play in such an esteemed tournament is a real honour and we are really excited to represent our country.

“With it being a home World Cup, it really is a once in a lifetime experience and we cannot wait to do the Mzansi nation proud.”

Ireland and USA go head-to-head in Bloemfontein also on opening day before India start the defence of their crown against Bangladesh at the same venue a day later on 20 January, in a repeat of the 2020 final. Both captains are looking forward to getting their campaigns off to a positive start.

India U19 captain Uday Saharan: “Our preparation has been intense, and the team has been working tirelessly to fine-tune every aspect of our game. We understand the challenges that come with representing our country at this level, but the excitement within the squad is palpable.

“The prospect of competing against the best U19 teams from around the world is both thrilling and motivating. We have a great blend of talent, determination, and team spirit, and we are looking forward to embracing the competition and giving our best on the field.”

Bangladesh U19 captain Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby: “We are very excited. Most players at this age level get one opportunity to participate in a U19 World Cup and we want to make this event a memorable one. We don’t have to look far for inspiration. We became Asian champions only last month and four years ago our predecessors won the World Cup.

“We will go there to win the World Cup. Bangladesh has done that before and there is no reason why we can’t carry the momentum from the Asia Cup to South Africa.”

Two further rivals lock horns on 20 January, as finalists from the previous edition England take on Scotland in Potchefstroom and Pakistan and Afghanistan meet in East London.

England U19 captain Ben McKinney: “This is the first U19 World Cup for all the players, and we want to show how exciting we are as a team.

“We want to showcase our skills and impose ourselves on each and every game, with an overall aim to go on and to win the tournament.”

Scotland U19 captain Owen Gould: “We are absolutely buzzing…It’s a huge honour to be representing Scotland. It’ll really sink in when we take to the pitch in the first game. Even to be playing in the qualifiers last summer was special, but this is just the next level up.

“That first England game is the big one. The rivalry, and it being the first game of the tournament… I think we’ll all be buzzing for it.”

Afghanistan U19 captain Naseer Khan Maroof Khil: “Including me, all the boys are very enthusiastic and committed. No doubt, it is an outstanding learning platform to show our talent and skills to the world.

“As we got to the semi-finals last time, the boys are eager to get to the final this time and win the trophy for the country.”

The full fixture schedule infographic can be found by clicking here. All matches in the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup will start at 10h00 local time (SAST).

Warm-up fixtures

Saturday 13 January

USA v Namibia, Tuks Oval, Pretoria

India v Australia, TUT Oval, Pretoria

South Africa v Pakistan, St Stithians, Johannesburg

Nepal v Scotland, Braamfischer Oval, Johannesburg

Sunday 14 January

Ireland v Zimbabwe, Tuks Oval, Pretoria

Bangladesh v Sri Lanka, TUT Oval, Pretoria

England v Afghanistan, St Stithians, Johannesburg

New Zealand v West Indies, Braamfischer Oval, Johannesburg

Tuesday 16 January

Namibia v Ireland, Tuks Oval, Pretoria

Zimbabwe v USA, TUT Oval, Pretoria

West Indies v Nepal, St Stithians, Johannesburg

South Africa v Afghanistan, Braamfischer Oval, Johannesburg

Wednesday 17 January

Sri Lanka v India, Tuks Oval, Pretoria

Australia v Bangladesh, TUT Oval, Pretoria

Scotland v New Zealand, St Stithians, Johannesburg

Pakistan v England, Braamfischer Oval, Johannesburg