Surrey allrounder Ralphie Albert has been named captain of an 18-player England Under-19 squad for a tour of Pakistan in December. Nottinghamshire's Farhan Ahmed will serve as his deputy for a trip that includes three Youth ODIs and a four-day Youth Test, all scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi.
Before heading to Pakistan, the squad will complete a 12-day training camp in Colombo, Sri Lanka, running from November 19 to November 30. The Youth ODIs are set for December 5, December 7 and December 9, with the Youth Test following from December 13 to December 16, all in Rawalpindi.
Neil Killeen, the former Durham seamer, has stepped in as interim head coach of the Young Lions for their winter programme. He takes charge following Mike Yardy's move into the role of Elite National Batting Lead. The winter schedule also includes a trip to Australia in the new year, in addition to the Pakistan series.
Who is leading the England Under-19 coaching setup for this tour?
Neil Killeen will oversee the squad on an interim basis, supported by a coaching team comprising Joe Denly, Steve Mullaney and Kyle Hogg. Killeen steps into the head coach position after Mike Yardy departed to take up the Elite National Batting Lead post within the England and Wales Cricket Board setup.
"I am really looking forward to leading an exciting group of young players and coaches across their winter programme. This is an opportunity for these young players to experience new countries and conditions and for our coaching team to help develop their game in a world-class environment, which will only help in their journey towards international cricket. Sri Lanka is an excellent venue for our training camp, where we can build towards what we know will be a tough contest in Pakistan following our series in the summer," he said.
Which players have specific or restricted roles within the squad?
Worcestershire left-arm seamer Jeet Varaich is among the uncapped players in the group, receiving his first call-up to the Young Lions setup. His inclusion is one of the notable new additions to the squad for this winter programme.
Two players, Marley Simpson and Luke Symington, have been included only for the Sri Lanka training camp and will not travel to Pakistan with the main party. Meanwhile, fast bowlers Charlie Taylor and Manny Lumsden will link up with the squad once it arrives in Rawalpindi, where both will follow individual development programmes tailored for fast bowlers rather than the standard squad schedule.
England U19s Men full squad for the Pakistan tour
Ralphie Albert (capt), Farhan Ahmed, Subhaan Ali, Robbie Bowman, Tom Bradley, Thomas Edwards, Luke Hands, Theo Lamey, Manny Lumsden, Bertie Michael, Isaac Mohammad, Joe Moores, Jack Nelson, Leo Selvey-Clinton, Marley Simpson, Luke Symington, Charlie Taylor, Jeet Varaich
