Fast bowler Oliver Riley will skipper Ireland at next January’s Under-19 World Cup, to be staged across Namibia and Zimbabwe. Fellow quick Reuben Wilson has been named vice-captain in a 15-strong squad.
Cricket Ireland have pencilled in an eight-day camp at Potchefstroom, South Africa, before the party heads north to Windhoek. Two warm-ups, against West Indies on 10 January and Tanzania on 13 January, should settle nerves and clarify roles.
Group A looks challenging rather than daunting: Australia on 16 January, Sri Lanka three days later, then Japan on 22 January. The format is familiar – four first-round pools of four, the top three from each advancing to a second-stage league. From there, the leading pair in each six-team group reaches the semi-finals; the showpiece is booked for 6 February in Harare.
Head coach Peter Johnston, with Nigel Jones assisting, kept selection steady. “We wanted continuity but also competition for places,” Johnston said in a Cricket Ireland release, adding that the pace attack “gives us genuine wicket-taking options up front and at the death”.
Riley, 18, has impressed for Leinster Lightning’s academy sides and admits the captaincy feels “a bit surreal”. He said, “I’m proud to lead this group. We’ve played together for years and understand each other’s games.”
Former Ireland seamer Isobel Joyce, now an U19 pundit, believes the squad has balance. “They bat deep, they’ve got a left-arm spinner in Sebastian Dijkstra, and Riley’s pace sets the tone,” she told RTÉ Sport.
The wider picture is encouraging. Ireland reached the Plate final in 2024; a top-eight finish is the stated aim this time. Wilson accepts there is work to do. “Beating Australia or Sri Lanka would be a marker,” he said. “Consistency across three games is non-negotiable.”
Ireland Under-19 squad
Alex Armstrong, Callum Armstrong, Marko Bates, Sebastian Dijkstra, Thomas Ford, Samuel Haslett, Adam Leckey, Febin Manoj, Luke Murray, Robert O’Brien, Freddie Ogilby, Oliver Riley (c), James West, Bruce Whaley, Reuben Wilson (vc)
Non-travelling reserves: Peter le Roux, William Shields
