Pakistan’s U-19 cricket team on January 6 ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup will leave for South Africa to participate, where the 15-player squad will be led by Saad Baig as captain.
The ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup will continue from January 19 to February 11, 2024.
In the Pakistan U-19 squad, Saad Baig will perform as captain and wicket-keeper while Ali Asfand will join as vice-captain. Apart from them, the team includes Ali Raza, Ahmed Hassan, Aamir Hassan, Arafat Minhas, Azan Owais, Haroon Arshad, Khabib Khalil, Muhammad Zeeshan, Naveed Ahmed Khan, Shahzeb Khan, Shamail Hussain, Muhammad Riazullah and Obaid Shah.
This U-19 squad is not only practicing cricket in the grounds of National Cricket Academy (NCA) Lahore, but they are also being given good exercise.
Captain Saad Baig is 17 years old and belongs to Karachi. Independent-Urdu met Saad at the NCA gym, during which he shared that apart from cricket, he likes squash and badminton, and is also very fond of hanging out with friends.
Saad further said that his team’s preparation for the World Cup has been going on for a long time and he hopes to apply what he has prepared in the World Cup, where their first match will be held on January 20.
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Saad said that he has been playing cricket for a long time, but for the first time in the Pakistan Cricket Board, he gave the Under-13 trials. “I have played under-13 cricket in 2017 and was adjudged the best wicket-keeper, after which I came to Lahore. I have come to Lahore many times because of NCA and practice camps and I have been coming to Lahore for under-19 for one and a half years now.’
Saad Baig added: ‘As a wicketkeeper batsman, I look up to Pakistan legend Babar Azam and I enjoy his batting.’
He said that the team has been preparing for the World Cup for a long time and during this time they did three international tours. “I would like to try the way we did in the Asia Cup in the league match and with the good team we have, what we have prepared and what our head coach Mohd Yusuf has taught us. Everyone should apply and inshallah people will see this team performing well.’
Saad’s biggest ambition this year is also to win the 2024 U-19 World Cup.
He said that ‘Our team is connected. These guys have been playing for a year and a half and we all have a lot of unity and it will show in this big match.
Saad said that as a cricketer, no team can be taken as an easy target. ‘You play every match as a challenge. Our first three matches are against New Zealand, Afghanistan and Nepal and we will try to treat each match as a challenge.’
He said that he has worked hard to reach this place and that includes the full support of his coaches and parents.
“I will try to work harder and be a part of the Pakistan cricket team in the next two or three years.”
Saad said: ‘I have been captaining the Under-13s and I enjoy the captaincy. I’m used to it from the start and I enjoy leading the team.’
Saad said that he likes biryani in food, while among cricketers around the world, he likes Rashid Latif as a wicket keeper, while his favorite ground to play cricket is Gaddafi Stadium in Pakistan, while in the world he likes Lord’s Cricket Ground.
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2024-08-27 22:35:36
