The U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup is getting closer.

With just ten days to go, South Africa is getting ready to welcome the world’s greatest young cricket players for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 on January 19.

The 15th iteration of the renowned competition will feature 41 matches spread over 24 days of competition. The action will be held at five host venues: Willowmoore Park in Benoni, which will host the semi-final and final match on February 11; Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein; Kimberley Oval in Kimberley; JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom; Buffalo Park in East London; and Willow Park in Kimberley.

A vibrant festival atmosphere at the grounds, complete with braai areas, kids’ entertainment including jumping castles, face painting, and more, live music offerings, and a mini-cricket area for young fans to showcase their own budding talents, will complement the thrilling action of the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, guaranteeing an unforgettable experience for all. Fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the next generation of cricket superstars can do so for free throughout the tournament.

Warm-up matches are scheduled to take place across sites in Johannesburg and Pretoria between January 13 and 17, with viewers free to witness every ball live. With the tournament’s commencement drawing near, teams are also nearing the end of their preparations.

Before the main event begins on January 19, each side will play two warm-up matches. The first round of matches promises much drama and excitement as a number of rivals meet to begin their World Cup campaigns.

On January 19, Potchefstroom will play host to South Africa’s inaugural match versus the West Indies, another past U19 champion.

There’s no denying the excitement among the young Proteas, who will be keen to begin with a victory under the leadership of skipper David Teeger.

“The team and I cannot wait for the World Cup to start,” said Teeger, the captain of South Africa’s U19 team. We are truly honored to get the chance to compete in such a prestigious competition, and we can’t wait to represent our nation.

“We can’t wait to make the Mzansi nation proud because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play in our home World Cup.”

Ireland and the United States square off in Bloemfontein on the first day of play, and on January 20, India begins their crown defense against Bangladesh at the same location in a rematch of the 2020 championship match. The two captains are eager to start their campaigns on a strong note.

Uday Saharan, the captain of India U19: “The squad has been practicing a lot, and we have been trying very hard to perfect every part of our game. Although we are aware of the difficulties in representing our nation at this level, the squad is clearly excited.

Being able to compete against the top U19 teams in the world is exciting and inspiring. With our excellent combination of skill, tenacity, and camaraderie, we are eager to take on the opposition and give it our all on the field.

Captain of Bangladesh U19 Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby: “We are thrilled.” We want to make this U19 World Cup an unforgettable experience for the players who, for the most part, only get to play in one. Finding inspiration doesn’t require traveling far. Only last month did we win the Asian championship, and our forefathers took home the World Cup four years prior.

“We intend to go there and win the World Cup.” Bangladesh has previously accomplished that, so there’s no reason we can’t carry over our momentum from the Asia Cup to South Africa.

On January 20, Pakistan and Afghanistan will square off in East London, while the winners of the previous competition, England, will play Scotland in Potchefstroom.

“We want to show how exciting we are as a team, as this is the first U19 World Cup for all of the players,” said England U19 captain Ben McKinney.

“Our overall goal is to proceed and win the tournament. We want to demonstrate our abilities and impose ourselves on every game.”

Captain Owen Gould of Scotland U19: “We are incredibly excited.Being able to represent Scotland is an enormous honor. When we get onto the field for the first game, it will truly hit home. Playing in the qualifications last summer was an incredible experience, but this is just the next step up.

“The important one is the first England match. The rivalry, together with the fact that it’s the tournament opener… We’ll all be excited about it, I believe.

“All the boys, including me, are very enthusiastic and committed,” said Naseer Khan Maroof Khil, captain of the Afghanistan U19 team. It is unquestionably a fantastic learning tool that allows us to showcase our abilities to a global audience.

“The boys want to win the trophy for the country and advance to the final this time, as we made it to the semi-finals last time.”

Clicking this will take you to an infographic with the whole fixture schedule. At 10:00 local time (SAST), the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup will begin with each match.

Warm-up equipment