U19 World Cup 2024: ICC announces revised schedule as tournament heads to South Africa

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• Dec 11, 2023 | Dhupali Das

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially announced the schedule for the upcoming U19 Cricket World Cup...

Digital Desk: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially announced the schedule for the upcoming U19 Cricket World Cup, set to begin from January 19 to February 11, 2024. Initially slated for Sri Lanka, the tournament has been relocated to South Africa.

A total of 16 teams will compete in 41 matches during the championship. The participating nations include cricket powerhouses like India, England, Pakistan, and Australia, alongside emerging cricketing nations such as USA, Namibia, and Nepal.

The tournament's opening clash is slated between Ireland and the USA at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein. Other venues for the tournament include JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom, Buffalo Park in East London, Kimberley Oval in Kimberley, and Willowmoore Park in Benoni.

Defending champions India will commence their title defense on Saturday, January 20, at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein. India's initial matches in the first round will be against Ireland and the USA on January 25 and 28, respectively.

Chris Tetley, the ICC Head of Events, expressed optimism about hosting the U19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa. He noted the success of recent cricket events in the country, including the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

Teams are slated to participate in two warm-up matches from January 13 to 17 before the commencement of the main tournament, promising an exciting start to the youth cricket extravaganza.