Wellington, Dec 20 (NationPress) Opening batsman Tom Jones has been named captain of New Zealand's 15-member squad, which features five standout local players, for the 2026 ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup. This tournament will take place in Zimbabwe and Namibia from January 15 to February 6.

The team is set to leave on January 2 for a training camp in Bulawayo before the warm-up matches begin on January 9.

Jones will be participating in his second U19 Cricket World Cup after recently scoring an impressive 119 on his First Class debut for Otago.

Other squad members with domestic experience include Snehith Reddy and wicketkeeper Aryan Mann from Northern Districts, fast bowler Mason Clarke from Otago, and allrounder Jaskaran Sandhu from Auckland.

Reddy and Clarke made their List A debuts this year for their respective Major Associations and participated in the previous tournament in South Africa alongside Jones.

Reddy achieved the highest score of the last tournament with 147* against Nepal, while Clarke claimed 4-62 against the runners-up, India.

Seventeen-year-old batter Hugo Bogue has earned a spot after an outstanding performance for Otago at the National Under-19 Men’s Tournament, where he was the third-highest run-scorer, averaging 72 with a top score of 169 against Northern Districts.

He will be joined by Auckland players Brandon Matzopoulous, Marco Alpe, and Jacob Cotter, who ranked fourth, fifth, and sixth respectively in run-scoring during the tournament.

The team’s pace-bowling lineup will be strengthened by allrounders Harry Burns and Flynn Morey, both of whom took five-wicket hauls and finished with a total of 10 wickets in the tournament.

Former New Zealand player Anton Devcich will lead the coaching staff, alongside NZC High Performance coaches Paul Wiseman and Graeme Aldridge.

Head coach Devcich praised the squad, stating, “With such a talented pool of players, choosing the right team was challenging, but we believe we have achieved the perfect balance.”

Having participated in the Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2004, Devcich emphasized that the tournament provides a fantastic opportunity for young players to advance their skills on an international stage.

“The Under-19 World Cup is a thrilling chance for top-age talent to display their abilities globally and experience their initial taste of international cricket,” he mentioned.

“For many players, this will be their inaugural representation of New Zealand, marking a special moment for both the players and coaching staff,” he added.

Squad: Tom Jones, Marco Alpe, Hugo Bogue, Harry Burns, Mason Clarke, Jacob Cotter, Aryan Mann, Brandon Matzopoulos, Flynn Morey, Snehith ('Lucky') Reddy, Callum Samson, Jaskaran Sandhu, Selwin Sanjay, Hunter Shore, Harry Waite