Afghan junior squad to contest ACC U-19 Cup

KABUL, July 30 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Afghanistans junior cricket squad will participate in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) U-19 Elite Cup to be played in Malaysia next month, an official said on Monday.
Slated to get under way from August 20, the tournament will feature a total of 10 nations - Afghanistan, Nepal, Oman, Malaysia, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand.
Afghanistan Cricket Federation (ACF) Secretary-General Taj Malik Alam informed Pajhwok Afghan News the winners of the 10-day event would qualify for taking part in the World U-19 Cricket Cup.

Arranged by the International Cricket Council, the first U-19 Cricket World Cup was initially staged as a one-off event in Australia in 1988. But it has been held every two years since 1998.

With hosts Malaysia having already confirmed their participation in the mega contest, a second squad from Asia would be the champions of the ACC Elite Cup, Malik added.
The 10 contesting countries have been divided into two groups. Included in Group A are Nepal, Thailand, Oman, the UAE and Singapore while placed in Group B are Afghanistan Malaysia, Hong Kong, Qatar and Kuwait.

He continued the AFC had spent a year preparing for the important tournament, picking up a 15-man national line-up after last weeks trials attended by 150 cricketers from Kabul, several provinces and the Afghans based in Peshawar.

The Afghan side would leave for Malaysia on August 15, said the AFC secretary-general, who hoped the in-form junior players would put in their best to emerge on the top.

Meanwhile, skipper Muhammad Sher said the squad selected for the cup would embark in a couple of days on warm-up games at the National Cricket Academy ground in Kabul.

Following is the match schedule announced by the Asian Cricket Council: