Youth cricket takes centre stage

Brandon Moyo, Zimpapers Sports Hub

LOCAL cricket followers say the wait is almost over as Zimbabwe prepares to co-host the ICC Men’s Under 19 Cricket World Cup 2026 with Namibia from January 15 to February 6.

With all matches open to the public at no cost, fans have been urged to turn out in large numbers and get behind the next generation of the game.

Sixteen nations will compete for the sport’s most prized youth trophy, with 41 matches scheduled across the two host countries. Zimbabwe will stage a significant share of the fixtures.

Bulawayo cricket fan Marshall Makambaya, who attended the trophy tour across the city on Monday, said the excitement around the tournament is already building.

Makambaya called on cricket lovers and the wider community to come out in numbers and support the event.

“I am so excited that we will be hosting the ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026 alongside Namibia. During the tour, which I attended, we were looking to spread the vibe and give a feel of what to expect. I know we will be watching great cricket throughout the tournament. We will be coming in to watch every game, because this is where future stars are made.

“This is the grassroots of cricket, this is where future stars are groomed, so to the people out there, let’s come out in numbers. Let’s support our Under 19s, so we encourage all the fans to come out in numbers, it will be fun, I can assure you,” said Makambaya.

Musician Msiz’kay echoed the call for strong public support.

“It’s a big deal to have the World Cup in Zimbabwe. It’s a big deal for the country and people should come out and support. This is an opportunity to show national pride and that we are big fans of our country,” he said.

Zimbabwe Under 19s will play all their group matches in Harare at Takashinga Sports Club. Fans in Bulawayo will still get a chance to see the squad assembled by Elton Chigumbura when they face New Zealand in a warm up match at Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC) on Saturday.

Two more warm up fixtures will follow at BAC before the tournament begins. England will take on India on Monday, with Pakistan and New Zealand meeting the next day.

The opening day of the global showpiece will see India face the USA, Zimbabwe play Scotland, and Tanzania make their historic tournament debut against the West Indies. Matches will be staged at five venues, Harare Sports Club, Takashinga Sports Club and Queens Sports Club in Zimbabwe, plus the Namibia Cricket Ground and HP Oval in Namibia.

The competition will feature four groups of four teams, followed by a Super Six stage, then the semi finals and the final in Harare.

Defending champions Australia open their campaign against Ireland on day two in Windhoek, while India and Bangladesh clash in one of the early headline fixtures on January 17 in Bulawayo.

Ten teams qualified automatically based on their performance at the 2024 edition alongside hosts Zimbabwe. The remaining five booked their places through regional qualifiers, underlining the growing reach of the Under 19 pathway.