Bloemfontein, Jan 9:
The ICC Under 19 World Cup is all set to kick off on January 19, with a double header pitting hosts South Africa against the West Indies and Ireland taking on the USA.
The 15th edition of the tournament will feature the rising stars of 16 countries battling it out in 48 matches, with five venues featuring the future of the international game.
The event will welcome a new format for this edition, where the threeteams progressing from each of the four groups will enter a new SuperSix stage, starting January 30.
Two groups of six teams will clash to determine the Semi-Finalists and the subsequent Finalists.
The bottom-placed teams will then meet in placement games to determine finishing positions 13 to 16.
It will be the third time that South Africa has hosted the Under 19 World Cup – after previous editions in 1998 and 2020.
All teams will play two warm-up fixtures in South Africa between January 13-17.
GroupA and Group B action begins on the January 19 opening day, with Irelandmeeting the USA in Bloemfontein, and the hosts meeting the West Indiesin Potchefstroom.
Group D’s opening match (Afghanistan vPakistan) will be played out on January 20 in East London, while GroupC, based in Kimberley, begins on January 21. Sri Lanka meet Zimbabwe toopen group action.
Groups: Group A – Bangladesh, India, Ireland, USA Group B – England, Scotland, South Africa, West Indies Group C – Australia, Namibia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe Group D – Afghanistan, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan Attention then turns to the Super Six stagefrom January 30, with the top three teams from Groups A and D puttogether with the top three of Groups B and D. The teams play twomatches in this phase, and avoid the team that finished in thecorresponding position in the other group. For example, the top finisherin Group A play the second and third teams in Group D.
Semi-finals begin on February 6, with the final on February 11. Both semi-finals and the final will be held at Willowmoore Park in Benoni.
