Victoria’s Oliver Peake will captain Australia Under-19s at next year’s World Cup in Namibia and Zimbabwe, a tournament the side won in 2024. The left-hander, still only 19, is the sole survivor from that successful campaign and has already spent time with Australia A and the senior Test squad.
Peake’s rise has felt brisk but steady. He struck an unbeaten 46 in the 2024 final against India, posted 92 for Australia A against Sri Lanka A in Darwin, and opened this Shield season with a composed 70* to steer Victoria past South Australia. A Big Bash deal with Melbourne Renegades followed, though he will miss the back end of the BBL due to World Cup commitments.
Three uncapped players – Naden Cooray, Nitesh Samuel and William Taylor, all from New South Wales – have been named. Samuel topped the recent National Championships with 364 runs at 91, numbers that forced the selectors’ hand.
Former national coach Tim Nielsen takes charge, assisted by Luke Butterworth and Travis Dean. “We’re delighted to announce a strong and well-balanced squad for the ICC Under-19 World Cup,” Nielsen said. “Our focus has been on selecting a group with complementary skill sets that provide the best chance of success in tournament. The players named have impressed with their performances during the U-19 series against India in September and at the recent National U-19 Championship in Perth. It’s an exciting group, some have already experienced senior training environments, while others are progressing rapidly through our pathway. The World Cup is a fantastic opportunity for these young cricketers to showcase their talent and test themselves against the best in the world.”
Selectors have again leaned on pace, mindful of southern-African conditions that often reward the hard new ball. Aryan Sharma and left-arm quick Will Malajczuk provide spin and variation if surfaces slow up.
Australia share their opening group with Ireland, Japan and Sri Lanka – not the most taxing pool on paper, but recent 3-0 defeats by India’s senior side serve as a gentle warning against complacency. For context, the last Australian Under-19 squad has already produced a Test cricketer in Sam Konstas and seen speedster Mahli Beardman feature in white-ball squads. The pathway works; now this cohort must prove it again.
Full squad: Oliver Peake (capt), Kasey Barton, Naden Cooray, Jayden Draper, Ben Gordon, Steven Hogan, Thomas Hogan, John James, Charles Lachmund, Will Malajczuk, Nitesh Samuel, Hayden Schiller, Aryan Sharma, William Taylor, Alex Lee-Young.
