Benoni, Feb 12 (IANS) A resounding campaign leading up to the final behind them, India marked their impressive display with four of its players being picked in the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 Team of the Tournament, announced on Monday by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The four Indians that made the team were batter Musheer Khan, Uday Saharan, Sachin Dhas and spinner Saumy Pandey.
Champions Australia have three players included, South Africa have two names – including the Player of the Tournament Kwena Maphaka – while the West Indies and Pakistan each have one player in the team.
Future stars hailing from five different nations including newly-crowned champions Australia made it to the team with Australia captain Hugh Weibgen given the honour of leading out the star-studded lineup, chosen by an esteemed panel of media, broadcast and ICC representatives. The selection panel consisted of commentary representatives Ian Bishop, Melinda Farrell and Abhinav Mukund, media representative Telford Vice, and ICC Head of Events, Chris Tetley.
The Team of the Tournament for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup (in batting order):
Lhuan-dre Pretorius (SA) (wk), Harry Dixon (AUS), Musheer Khan (IND), Hugh Weibgen (AUS) (captain), Uday Saharan (IND), Sachin Dhas (IND), Nathan Edward (WI), Callum Vidler (AUS), Ubaid Shah (PAK), Kwena Maphaka (SA), Saumy Pandey (IND) and 12th man Jamie Dunk (SCO).
South Africa’s Pretorius takes the gloves for this Team of the Tournament and also heads up the batting order, after a series of impressive and explosive displays in the Proteas surge to the semifinal.
The wicketkeeper batter hit three half-centuries towards the back-end of the tournament, including an eye-catching 76 in the semifinal against India, and will be remembered for contributing heavily to his side’s fast starts, ending the U19 Men’s CWC with a strike rate of 94.09.
Australia’s Harry Dixon partners him atop the order after a superb tournament and some invaluable contributions in the knockout stages. Dixon remained resolute in the semifinal and final despite the challenges posed by the bowling attacks of Pakistan and India, registering important runs atop the order in both, as well as their emphatic win over England in the Super Six stage.
India’s Musheer Khan takes the number three spot as the only batter to register two centuries during the competition. Despite a subdued end to the tournament, Musheer displayed plenty of early promise, featuring a wide array of attacking shots, as well as an ability to pick up wickets with his probing left-arm spin.
Captain Weibgen was instrumental to Australia’s fourth U19 Men’s CWC title, providing valuable runs and making intelligent on-field decisions that sparked another successful campaign. After a sensational match-winning century against rivals England on a difficult Kimberley pitch in the Super Six stage, Weibgen continued to grow as a player and leader, eventually sealing the deal with victory in Benoni inspired by his decision at the toss and with team selection.
The top run-scorer for the event, Uday Saharan played a pivotal role in India’s dominance through to the final. Scoring consistently throughout the event and registering a century against Nepal, Saharan saved his best performance for the thrilling semi-final against South Africa, dragging India back from the brink of elimination with a vital 81 runs to seal their spot in the final. Saharan’s primary ally that day was Sachin Dhas and the composed right-hander also earned a place in the Team of the Tournament for his ability to relieve pressure situations and the innovative and aggressive strokeplay that characterised India’s wins over Nepal (116 runs) and South Africa (96 runs).
The West Indies made a promising start to the tournament and could have progressed through to the semifinals had their all-or-nothing match against Australia not been washed out. All-rounder Nathan Edward was a standout performer for the side, in particular during their win against England in Potchefstroom, taking three wickets and hitting 49 in a high-pressure chase.
The four out-and-out bowlers in the side all found success in their respective sides.
Australia’s Callum Vidler enjoyed plenty of pace and bounce on the South African surfaces, and posed a constant threat to batters throughout the competition. He starred in wins over England and Sri Lanka before his efforts in the semis and final included prized wickets with the new ball.
Ubaid Shah was in scintillating form for Pakistan in the U19 Men’s CWC, spearheading their bowling attack and demonstrating lethal amounts of pace that produced vital wicket-taking spells in his side’s wins over New Zealand (three for 30) and Bangladesh (five for 44) in their run to the semi-final.
Player of the Tournament Kwena Maphaka set the World Cup alight from day one. The searing pace and swing handed him his first of three five-wicket hauls in the dramatic win over West Indies on the opening day, and the pacer never looked back, with stellar performances in wins over Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.
Maphaka almost provided South Africa with another match-winning performance in the semi-final defeat against India, yet his pace, bounce and ability to take important wickets just saw the young Proteas fall short.
Maphaka ended the tournament with 21 wickets, leaving him at the summit of the wicket-taking charts.
Completing the lineup is India’s Saumy Pandey, whose left-arm spin threat yielded 18 wickets – the most by any spinner in the tournament. Twinned with a supreme ability to bowl economical spells, Pandey was inspirational in the early stages in Bloemfontein, highlighted by his performances in wins over Bangladesh (four for 24) and New Zealand (four for 19).
The twelfth player listed in the ICC Team of the Tournament is Scotland’s opening batter, Jamie Dunk. So important in their journey to the World Cup through the Europe Qualifiers, Dunk adapted well to the World Cup environment, registering impressive half-centuries against West Indies (57), South Africa (90) and in the gripping play-off match against Namibia (76).
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