Oliver Peake: The reigning champions Oliver Peake, a left-hand batsman, has been selected captain of Australia, which is the most recent team to announce their roster for the forthcoming ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup. Peake, who was instrumental in Australia’s 2024 title victory in South Africa, will now captain the team as they pursue consecutive titles.

Early in the competition, Peake was selected as an injured replacement for the 2024 squad. He arrived late, but he had an effect right away, scoring 120 runs in four innings. According to the ICC website, he had a remarkable performance in the final against India, hitting an undefeated 46 to lead Australia to victory.

The 19-year-old, who scored a fantastic half-century against many of the tourists’ Ashes squad in Canberra last month while playing for the Prime Minister’s XI against England, is expected to lead from the front during the U19 World Cup in Zimbabwe and Namibia, which starts on January 15.

All-rounder Will Malajczuk, fellow batsman Nitesh Samuel, and fast bowler William Taylor are all expected to be key players in the Australians’ title defense. Peake is the sole member of the team that won the Under 19 World Cup in South Africa last year.

The Australian squad will be coached by Tim Nielsen, who thinks the team is balanced enough to challenge for consecutive championships.

“We’re delighted to announce a strong and well-balanced squad for the ICC Under-19 World Cup,” Nielsen said. Our goal has been to choose a team with complimentary skill sets that will have the greatest chance of winning the competition.

“The players listed have made an impression with their performances in the National U19 Championships in Perth and throughout the U19 series against India in September. This is a dynamic group; some have advanced quickly via our curriculum, while others have prior experience in senior training settings. These young cricket players have a great chance to show off their skills and compete against the world’s top players in the World Cup,” he said.

Australia will play Ireland, Japan, and Sri Lanka in the first round of the Under-19 World Cup after being placed into Group C.

Oliver Peake (c), Kasey Barton, Naden Cooray, Jayden Draper, Steven Hogan, Thomas Hogan, Ben Gordon, John James, Charles Lachmund, Alex Lee-Young, Will Malajczuk, Nitesh Samuel, Hayden Schiller, Aryan Sharma, and William Taylor make up the Australian team.