Surrey allrounder Ralphie Albert has been named captain of an 18-player England Under-19 squad for a December tour of Pakistan. Nottinghamshire's Farhan Ahmed is his deputy. The itinerary has three Youth ODIs and one four-day Youth Test, all in Rawalpindi, after a 12-day training camp in Colombo.
Tour Structure and Schedule
The tour is compact. It has four matches in total, all at one venue in Rawalpindi, so the squad will not need to travel between match locations.
Before leaving for Pakistan, the group will complete a training camp in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from November 19 to November 30. That gives the squad 12 days of preparation ahead of the white-ball series.
England U19 Tour of Pakistan: Fixtures| Fixture | Format | Date | Venue |
|---|
| 1st Youth ODI | 50 overs | December 5 | Rawalpindi |
| 2nd Youth ODI | 50 overs | December 7 | Rawalpindi |
| 3rd Youth ODI | 50 overs | December 9 | Rawalpindi |
| Youth Test | 4 days | December 13-16 | Rawalpindi |
The ODIs are played at two-day intervals, with a three-day gap before the Youth Test begins. The multi-day match follows the one-day series, so the squad moves from limited-overs to longer-format cricket within a single venue.
Preparation Timeline
Key Dates at a Glance| Phase | Dates | Duration |
|---|
| Colombo training camp | November 19-30 | 12 days |
| Youth ODI series | December 5-9 | 3 matches |
| Youth Test | December 13-16 | 4 days |
Leadership and Coaching Group
Albert leads the side, with Farhan Ahmed as vice-captain. Both hold senior roles in a squad that includes several players on specialised programmes.
Neil Killeen, the former Durham seamer, is interim head coach of the Young Lions for the winter programme. He replaces Mike Yardy, who has moved into the role of Elite National Batting Lead.
Leadership and Coaching Roles| Name | Role |
|---|
| Ralphie Albert | Captain (Surrey) |
| Farhan Ahmed | Vice-captain (Nottinghamshire) |
| Neil Killeen | Interim head coach |
| Joe Denly | Coaching team |
| Steve Mullaney | Coaching team |
| Kyle Hogg | Coaching team |
What Killeen Said
Killeen said he is looking forward to leading an exciting group of young players and coaches across the winter programme. He described it as a chance for players to experience new countries and conditions.
He called Sri Lanka an excellent venue for the training camp. He said it would help the squad build towards what he expects to be a tough contest in Pakistan, following the series in the summer.
Squad Composition and Restricted Roles
Of the 18 players named, not all follow the same schedule. Four have specific arrangements, so the main touring party differs from the full squad list.
Worcestershire left-arm seamer Jeet Varaich is among the uncapped players and has received his first call-up to the Young Lions setup.
Players With Specific Arrangements| Player | Arrangement |
|---|
| Marley Simpson | Sri Lanka training camp only |
| Luke Symington | Sri Lanka training camp only |
| Charlie Taylor | Joins in Rawalpindi; individual fast-bowler programme |
| Manny Lumsden | Joins in Rawalpindi; individual fast-bowler programme |
Two of the 18 will not travel to Pakistan with the main party. That leaves 16 players for the tour itself, two of whom arrive later and follow tailored development plans rather than the standard squad schedule.
Full 18-Player Squad
The squad is Ralphie Albert (captain), 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 and Jeet Varaich.
Squad Numbers Summary| Category | Count |
|---|
| Total squad size | 18 |
| Camp-only players | 2 |
| Players joining later in Rawalpindi | 2 |
| Youth ODIs | 3 |
| Youth Tests | 1 |
Wider Winter Programme
The Pakistan tour is one part of a larger winter schedule. The Young Lions will also travel to Australia in the new year.
The Pakistan series follows the summer series that Killeen referred to. With Killeen in interim charge and Yardy now in a national batting role, the coaching structure has changed ahead of a busy winter.