Pakistan U19 begin title defence on Friday

The ACC Men's U19 Asia Cup 2026 will begin in Oman on Thursday, 5 November with defending champions Pakistan U19 taking on the UAE on Friday, 6 November at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Muscat. The eight-team 50-over tournament consist of two groups. Pakistan, UAE, India and Nepal are in Group A, while Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Malaysia are in Group B. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals, scheduled for Thursday, 12 November. The final will take place on Saturday, 14 November. Pakistan will be led by Farhan Yousaf, who also captained the side in the previous edition when Pakistan defeated India by 191 runs at the ICC Cricket Academy Ground in Dubai. Following their opening match, Pakistan will face India on Sunday, 8 November before taking on Nepal in their final group match on Tuesday, 10 November. Talking exclusively to PCB Digital, Pakistan U19 captain Farhan Yousaf said: 'Our preparations have been progressing really well. The PCB's initiative to send us to Oman ahead of the tournament has been extremely beneficial, allowing us to assess the weather, pitches and playing conditions. 'As defending champions, we understand the responsibility that comes with the title. We are not taking anything for granted and are determined to carry forward the positives from last year with the same hunger, commitment and winning mindset. 'The morale within the squad is very high and the players are confident heading into the tournament. We had a strong squad last year and the addition of new players has further strengthened the team. 'The confidence and support shown by the team management have been instrumental in our preparations. We are focused on building on last year's success, maintaining our positive approach and performing consistently throughout the tournament.' 15-member squad Farhan Yousuf (captain), Abdul Qadir (wk), Abdul Subhan, Ahmed Hussain, Ali Raza, Hamza Zahoor (wk), Hasnain Abbas Dar, Hayam Khan, Huzaifa Ahsan, Jahangir Bilal, Mohammad Huzaifa, Mohammad Seyam, Niqab Shafiq, Rizwanullah and Usman Khan Player support personnel Shahid Anwar (head coach & team manager), Rao Iftikhar Anjum (fast bowling coach), Zohaib Khan (spin bowling coach), Humayun Farhat (fielding coach), Ubaid Ullah (Physiotherapist), Ibrar Ahmed (trainer) and Ali Hamza (performance analyst) Pakistan's fixtures at the ACC Men's U19 Asia Cup 2026 - OMAN 6 November – Pakistan v UAE – OCA Ground 2 8 November – Pakistan v India – OCA Ground 1 10 November – Pakistan v Nepal – OCA Ground 1 12 November – Semi finals 14 November – Final