Farhan Ahmed has been named as England vice-captain for the upcoming Men’s Under-19 World Cup in Namibia and Zimbabwe.
Ahmed, 17, retains a leadership role in the 15-man squad after leading the Young Lions during their recent Youth ODI series in the West Indies.
Regular skipper Thomas Rew, whose call-up to England Lions’ tour of Australia necessitated Ahmed stepping into the full captaincy job in the Caribbean, returns to take the reins for the World Cup.
While in charge for seven matches in the West Indies, Ahmed was England’s leading wicket-taker, with a total of 12 scalps at 21.66 during his first experience of competitive international captaincy.
England Men U19s Head Coach, Mike Yardy, said: “This is an amazing opportunity for the players we have selected to not only wear an England shirt at a World Cup but also to go out and try and do something special.
"We have a balanced squad with a core group of players who already have county experience and who have developed a camaraderie while playing together for the U19s that will serve them well during the tournament.
"I really want the players to enjoy the opportunity to play at a World Cup, in a beautiful country like Zimbabwe, and to embrace the chance to compete against different countries and show their quality."
The Young Lions will be based in Zimbabwe, playing all their games in the capital Harare, and have been drawn in Group C of the 16-team tournament
They open their campaign against Pakistan in Harare on Friday 16 January, before matches against co-hosts Zimbabwe and Scotland.
The top three nations from each of the four groups qualify for the ‘Super Six’ stage, with the final to be staged at the Harare Sports Club on Friday 6 February.
England squad for 2026 ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup
Thomas Rew (Somerset, captain)
Farhan Ahmed (Nottinghamshire, vice-captain)
Ralphie Albert (Surrey)
Ben Dawkins (Kent)
Caleb Falconer (Middlesex)
Ali Farooq (Leicestershire)
Alex French (Surrey)
Alex Green (Leicestershire)
Luke Hands (Lancashire)
Manny Lumsden (Hampshire)
Ben Mayes (Hampshire)
James Minto (Durham)
Isaac Mohammed (Worcestershire)
Joe Moores (Lancashire)
Sebastian Morgan (Middlesex)
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