JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa (CSA) has today announced the South Africa Under-19 (SA U19) Men’s squad for the upcoming three-match Youth One-Day International (YODI) series against Bangladesh, followed by a tri-series involving hosts Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in Harare.
The three-match home series against Bangladesh will be played from 17 – 22 July at Willowmoore Park in Benoni, before both teams travel to Zimbabwe for the tri-series scheduled from 25 July – 10 August.
The tour forms part of the squad’s ongoing preparation for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026, set to take place in Namibia and Zimbabwe early next year.
KZN Inland batter Muhammad Bulbulia and Lions all-rounder Jason Rowles will continue to share captaincy duties, having led the junior Proteas during the recent series against Namibia.
There are three new faces in the squad, with Lions duo Corne Botha (seamer) and Armaan Manack (top order batter), along with Titans batter Vihan Pretorius, all earning their maiden call-ups to the national age-group side.
SA U19 Convenor of Selectors Patrick Moroney commented: “We had a productive selection week featuring three competitive 50-over matches involving a pool of 27 players.
“Armaan impressed with a standout knock of 147 and has shown good progression through the emerging setup. Vihan brings added depth with his versatility as a batting option, while Corne has been on our radar for some time and really put his hand up with the ball this past week.
“Overall, we’re pleased with the balance of the squad and look forward to seeing how these players take their opportunities in the coming weeks.”
SA U19 Head Coach Malibongwe Maketa added: “We’ve retained both Muhammed and Jason as co-captains because we believe strongly in developing leadership within our youth structures. This approach also gives us the opportunity to assess both players in leadership roles across more matches before selecting a single captain for next year’s Under-19 World Cup.
“We’ve always maintained that the door to selection remains open, and it’s exciting for us as coaches to welcome new players like Corne, Armaan, and Vihan. They’ve shown great promise, and this tour gives us the opportunity to see how they perform at junior international level.
“The home series against Bangladesh will be a strong test against a quality subcontinent side and provides exactly the type of challenge we need as we continue building towards the World Cup. Both series will help us assess our progress and identify areas for improvement as we sharpen our preparations.”
SA U19 Men’s Squad – Youth ODI series against Bangladesh U19 and Youth ODI Tri-series against Zimbabwe U19 and Bangladesh U19
Muhammad Bulbulia (captain, KZN Inland), Jason Rowles (captain, Lions), JJ Basson (Lions), Corne Botha (Lions), Daniel Bosman (Western Province), Paul James (Western Province), Enathi Khitshini (Garden Route Badgers), Adnaan Lagadien (Western Province), Bandile Mbatha (Dolphins), Armaan Manack (Lions), Bayanda Majola (Dolphins), Kamogelo Phiri (Lions), Vihan Pretorius (Titans), Ntando Soni (Warriors) and Jorich van Schalkwyk (Titans).
Management
Malibongwe Maketa (Head Coach), Blanche Conradie (Manager), Imraan Khan (Batting Coach), Paul Adams (Bowling Coach), Thabang Kumalo (Fielding Coach), Tumi Masekela (Strength and Conditioning Coach), Sheenagh Jordaan (Physiotherapist), Kyle Southgate (Team Analyst), Eugene Oppelt (Performance Psychologist) and Lita Gqirana (Media Manager).
SA U19 Men’s Youth ODI Series against Bangladesh U19
Warm-up Match – Monday, 14 July at 09:30
CSA U19 Invitation XI vs Bangladesh U19 – Groenkloof Oval, Pretoria
1st YODI – Thursday, 17 July at 09:30
South Africa U19 vs Bangladesh U19 – Willowmoore Park, Benoni
2nd YODI – Saturday, 19 July at 09:30
South Africa U19 vs Bangladesh U19 – Willowmoore Park, Benoni
3rd YODI – Tuesday, 22 July at 09:30
South Africa U19 vs Bangladesh U19 – Willowmoore Park, Benoni
YODI Tri-series Fixtures
Friday, 25 July – 09:15
Zimbabwe U19 vs South Africa U19 – Sunrise Sports Club, Harare
Saturday, 26 July – 09:15
South Africa U19 vs Bangladesh U19 – Sunrise Sports Club, Harare
Monday, 28 July – 09:15
Zimbabwe U19 vs Bangladesh U19 – Harare Sports Club, Harare
Tuesday, 29 July – 09:15
Zimbabwe U19 vs South Africa U19 – Harare Sports Club, Harare
Thursday, 31 July – 09:15
Bangladesh U19 vs South Africa U19 – Harare Sports Club, Harare
Friday, 01 August – 09:15
Zimbabwe U19 vs Bangladesh U19 – Harare Sports Club, Harare
Monday, 04 August – 09:15
Zimbabwe U19 vs South Africa U19 – Harare Sports Club, Harare
Wednesday, 06 August – 09:15
South Africa U19 vs Bangladesh U19 – Harare Sports Club, Harare
Friday, 08 August – 09:15
Zimbabwe U19 vs Bangladesh U19 – Harare Sports Club, Harare
Sunday, 10 August – 09:15
Number 1 vs Number 2 – Harare Sports Club, Harare
Source: cricket.co.za
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