Before the curtains are closed on the ICC U-19 World Cup 2022, we focus today on its best performers and try and form a combined XI from the brightest talent that has emerged out of the tournament’s latest edition in the Caribbean.
Every two years, the U19 World Cup gives the globe’s best junior talent an opportunity to showcase their ability and promise at the world stage and take their first leap towards stardom.
The current edition in the West Indies being no different, has seen the emergence of multiple young players that have caught people’s eyes and imagination.
With some definitely capable of making an early transition to their country’s senior domestic game and potentially, even the international arena.
Indian U-19 skipper Yash Dhull is also the captain of our U-19 World Cup 2022 XI.
U19 World Cup 2022 team
Playing XI: Haseebullah Khan (wk), Yash Dhull (c), Dewald Brevis, Tom Prest, Ariful Islam, Qasim Akram, Raj Bawa, Dunith Wellalage, Joshua Boyden, Awais Ali, Vicky Ostwal
U19 World Cup 2022 team playing combination
Top-order: Haseebullah Khan (wk), Yash Dhull, Dewald Brevis
Three deserving batters in the team of the tournament at the top would be Pakistan’s Haseebullah Khan and India’s skipper Yash Dhull. Haseebullah, also a wicketkeeper, finished the tournament placed second in the batting chart with his 380 runs made while averaging 76 with a strike-rate of 80.85.
His partner at the top is Dhull, the Indian U19 captain, who has also been his team’s most impressive batter of the tournament. Dhull’s tally of 212 runs in 3 innings features his magnificent 110 in the Super League semi-final against Australia.
Following the solid Haseebullah-Dhull opening pair is the tournament’s highest run-getter and easily the most stand-out young talent Dewald Brevis. The South African right-hander has been likened to the great AB de Villiers because of his style and elegance at the crease. Brevis makes this XI with a whopping 506 runs from 6 matches, including 2 hundreds and 3 fifties.
Middle-order: Ariful Islam, Tom Prest, Raj Bawa
Ariful was Bangladesh’s solid middle-order anchor for the tournament, with 215 runs at an average of 53.75. In Bangladesh’s last match, the 7th-place playoff versus South Africa, he made a superb hundred (102 off 103) to take his team near the 300-mark.
Following Ariful in the U19 World Cup XI middle-order is England’s skipper and promising cricketer Tom Prest, who has contributed with both bat and ball in his team’s run to the final. Prest has made 292 runs with an average of 73 and strike-rate of 103.91, while also taking 5 wickets and maintaining an economy of just 4.04.
Last but certainly not the least member of the middle-order is India’s Raj Bawa with his ability to blast attacks near the end of the innings and make a big difference to his team’s fortunes. Bawa has smashed his 217 runs in the tournament with an impressive strike-rate of 110.71. He has also chipped in with the ball in hand, taking 4 wickets with an economy rate of 5.06.
Allrounders: Qasim Akram, Dunith Wellalage
Among designated allrounders, Pakistan’s Qasim Akram and Sri Lanka’s Dunith Wellalage were the two most impressive performers of the competition.
Wellalage, especially, was quite consistent with both bat and ball. The Sri Lankan U-19 captain finished as his team’s top-scorer with 264 runs at an average of 44 and also their highest wicket-taker with 17 scalps at an economy rate of 4.20. He was the allrounder of the tournament.
Akram displayed his best in either skill during Pakistan’s last game. In a fifth-place playoff against Sri Lanka, he dominated his way to an 80-ball 135 not out and backed that up with a magnificent five-fer (5/37).
Bowlers: Joshua Boyden, Awais Ali, Vicky Ostwal
England’s left-arm pacer Boyden is one of the tournament’s leading bowlers with 13 scalps from 5 matches and an exceptional economy rate of only 3.17.
Talking of the leading bowlers, Pakistan’s Awais Ali is only second in the list to Wellalage. The 16-year-old right-arm quick finished the tournament with 15 wickets while conceding 4.67 runs per over only.
Round off the attack is India’s disciplined left-arm spinner Vicky Ostwal, who ended the Super League semis with figures of 3 for 42 off his 10 overs against Australia. He is entering the final against England with 12 scalps from 5 matches and a tournament economy rate of just 3.39.
