Sri Lanka Youth on a repair mission

The eleventh episode of the Under-19 Cricket World Cup will unfold in Bangladesh from January 27 to February 14, 2016 with 16 teams taking part sans three-times winner Australia skipping the tournament due to security concerns.

Sri Lanka Under-19 squad Charith Asalanka (Richmond, captain), Sammu Ashan (Ananda. vice captain), Charana Nanayakkara (Thurstan), Kaveen Bandara (D.S.Senanayake), Salinda Ushan (Isipathana), Avishka Fernando (St. Sebastian’s), Wanindu Hasaranga (Richmond), Kamindu Mendis (Richmond), Vishad Randika (Isipathana), Lahiru Samarakoon (Dharmaraja), Asitha Fernando (St. Sebastian’s, Katuneriya), Lahiru Kumara (Trinity), Jehan Daniel (St. Joseph’s), Damitha Silva (Maliyadeva) and Thilan Nimesh (Prince Of Wales) pose for a ceremonial picture before their departure

Bangladesh will be hosting the event for the second time since they did in 2004 and the Sri Lankan players will be hard-pressed to do something after losing out badly in a home Triangular series last month.

The inaugural Under-19 World Cup was held in 1988 as the McDonald's Bicentennial Youth World Cup to celebrate the Australian Bicentenary celebrations and took place in South Australia and Victoria.

This first tournament saw seven Test playing nations and an ICC Associate XI taking part.

Sri Lanka although has taken part in all nine tournaments and hosting the event in 2000 and 2006 is yet to find their elusive victory formula. The only occasion Sri Lankans came close to winning the title was in 2000 as the host country, losing to India in the final.

Sri Lanka's biggest challenge will be India. The Indians are well equipped for the occasion and their strength was amply demonstrated in the preparatory Triangular tournament held in Colombo last month where England also contested.

Most of the Indian lads have the added advantage of playing at the highest level in India including the professional IPL.

With the tournament being held in the sub-continent, the host country Bangladesh too will be a force to reckon with. India has three players, Sarfaraz Khan, Ricky Bhui and Avesh Khan who are playing in their second under-19 World Cup after representing their country in the last one in the UAE in 2014 where they lost to England in the quarter final.

Sri Lanka will be captained by all-rounder Charith Asalanka of Richmond College and his deputy will be Sammu Ashan of Ananda College. Besides the skipper and his deputy who have been members of the youth team for some time, Kaveen Bandara and Avishka Fernando are the other senior players who will have to come out with sterling performances if the team is to go places.

The tournament has been a significant one with a steady influx of a number of future world champion cricketers set to represent their respective countries.

England's Nasser Hussain and Mike Atherton both captained England after playing in the Under-19 World Cup as did Indian spinner Venkatapathy Raju, New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns and Pakistan's Mushtaq Ahmed and Inzamam-Ul-Haq at the inception. Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya and West Indians Brian Lara, Ridley Jacobs and Jimmy Adams also starred in the 1988 tournament. However after a lapse of ten years, in 1998, the tournament was revamped in South Africa as a biennial event.

Besides the nine Test playing nations, Bangladesh, Kenya, Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, Namibia and Papua New Guinea took part. England beat New Zealand in the final and the non-qualifiers from the pool stage contested the Plate where Bangladesh beat the West Indies in the decider.

West Indian Chris Gayle was the highest run getter in the tournament scoring 364 runs with an average of 72.80.

Sri Lanka will take on Canada on January 28 in their opening game and meet Afghanistan on January 30 before confronting the strong Pakistanis on February 3 in the preliminary round.