England have announced their squad for the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2026 as they look to end their long wait for another U19 title. England last won the tournament in 1998 under Owais Shah, with Graeme Swann also part of that famous squad. Since then, the Three Lions have reached only one final, which came in 2022.

For the 2026 edition, 18-year-old Somerset wicketkeeper-batter Thomas Rew has been named captain. He will be supported by 17-year-old Farhan Ahmed, the younger brother of Rehan Ahmed, who has been appointed vice-captain. Farhan recently led the side during their seven-match series against the West Indies.

England has selected a squad that combines county experience with young talent. The team management believes this group has the right balance to compete strongly in Zimbabwe, where the tournament will be played.

Key Players to Watch and Coach’s View

Batters Ben Dawkins of Kent and Caleb Falconer of Middlesex are among the key players in the squad. Both have impressed at age-group level and were expected selections. One notable absence is Middlesex medium pacer Jack Nelson, who took eight wickets in four matches against the West Indies.

Young Lancashire bowler Luke Hands, who has just turned 17, will be another player to keep an eye on. Along with him, 18-year-old all-rounder Ralphie Albert and top-order batter Isaac Mohammed add depth and variety to England’s squad.

Head coach Mike Yardy expressed confidence in the group and said, “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.”

England are placed in Group C alongside Pakistan, Scotland, and Zimbabwe. They will begin their campaign with a high-profile match against Pakistan on Friday, January 16.

England Squad for U19 World Cup 2026

Thomas Rew (c) (wk), Farhan Ahmed (vc), Ralphie Albert, Ben Dawkins, Caleb Falconer, Ali Farooq, Alex French, Alex Green, Luke Hands, Manny Lumsden, Ben Mayes, James Minto, Isaac Mohammed, Joe Moores and Sebastian Morgan.

A few weeks ago, the young England spinner, Rehan Ahmed’s brother, Farhan Ahmed, picked up 10 wickets in a first-class game, while representing the England Lions against India. However, he has made a new record by becoming the youngest spinner of the side to celebrate a hat-trick, including a five-wicket over during the ongoing T20 Blast competition in 2025, as he featured for Nottinghamshire against Lancashire. 

It was the last group-stage clash of the side in the T20 Blast against the Roses at the Trent Bridge ground. The visitors’ captain, Keton Jennings, won the toss and decided to bat first on a surface which looked to slow down by the end of the encounter. They were bundled out for just 126 runs in 20 overs, with Matthew Hurst ending with the highest individual score of 36 runs.

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On the third-last ball of the first innings, Farhan Ahmed picked up the wicket of Luke Wood. The spinner used the air to flight the delivery as the southpaw looked to play the reverse-sweep. But he could only get a top edge as the third-man fielder took a comfortable catch to send the batter back in the hut.

Watch: Youngest England spinner celebrates T20 hat-trick during Vitality Blast 2025 against Lancashire 

On the very next delivery, Farhan went for a flat delivery on the legs of the number 10, Aspinwall, who clubbed the delivery straight into the hands of the fielder on the boundary line. Being the penultimate delivery of the innings, the right-handed batter looked to fetch it outside the park to take the most advantage.

FARHAN AHMED HAS A VITALITY BLAST HAT-TRICK AT 17 YEARS OLD!!!!! 😱 pic.twitter.com/dTThC98cwB

— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) July 18, 2025

On the last ball of the innings, it was the number 11 batter, Stanley. The right-arm spinner slowed the pace down and invited the batter to use his power on the ball. And it happened exactly, as Stanley used his feet to smack it outside the ground, but once he missed it, the wicket-keeper did the rest and broke the stumps as Farhan completed his hat-trick and bagged the figures of 5/25 in four overs.

Notts chased down the score in 15.2 overs with four wickets in hand. The wicket-keeper batter, Tom Moores, nailed 75 runs in just 42 deliveries at a strike rate of around 180, thanks to seven boundaries and four sixes.

Despite the victory, they ended in the sixth position in the points table with the help of seven victories in 14 games at a net run rate of -0.492.