LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the Pakistan Men’s Under-19 squad for the tour of England, where the team will play one Youth Test and four one-day matches from September 2 to 16.
Farhan Yousuf will lead the Pakistan Under-19 team on the England tour.
Wicketkeeper Abdul Qadir, all-rounders Jahangir Bilal, Hayam Khan and Aliyan Salman, batter Hasnain Abbas Dar and fast bowler Rizwanullah may make their debuts for Pakistan Under-19.
The presence of six potential debutants points to significant turnover in the age-group set-up, a normal feature of Under-19 cricket where eligibility windows are narrow and squads refresh rapidly between cycles.
Other players in the squad include Abdul Subhan, Ahmed Hussain, Hamza Zahoor, Muhammad Sayyam, Muhammad Huzaifa, Naqab Shafiq, Umar Zaib and Usman Khan.
The Youth Test between the Pakistan and England Under-19 teams will be played from September 2 to 5, while the four-match one-day series between the two sides will run from September 9 to 16.
The Pakistan Under-19 team will depart for England from Lahore on Sunday.
Youth tours of England occupy a distinctive place in the development pathway for subcontinental cricketers. English conditions in early September — cooler air, heavier atmosphere, pitches offering lateral movement and grounds where the ball can swing for extended periods — present a technical examination that young batters raised on the flatter, drier surfaces of Pakistan rarely encounter at home.
The inclusion of a multi-day Youth Test alongside the limited-overs matches is particularly significant. The four-day format tests concentration, temperament and the ability to construct an innings across sessions, qualities that white-ball cricket does not probe in the same way. Selectors and coaching staff typically treat performances in the longer format as the more reliable indicator of a player’s potential to progress to first-class and eventually Test cricket.
Pakistan’s Under-19 programme has historically served as the principal conduit into the senior side, with a long list of internationals having first been identified at this level. The Pakistan Cricket Board runs regional Under-19 tournaments feeding into national selection, and touring assignments abroad function as the final filter before players are considered for domestic first-class contracts and, ultimately, senior international honours.
For the six players who could make their first appearances in national colours on this tour, the series represents a first opportunity to be assessed against international opposition in demanding conditions — and for the squad as a whole, valuable preparation ahead of future age-group cycles.
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