16 teams will be competing at the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Sri Lanka 2024 over 41 matches. 11 teams have automatically qualified for the event as the best-placed Full Member nations from the previous event in 2022. These are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe.
The remaining five spots will be determined through regional qualification pathways, with one team from each region securing a place at the event. Nepal secured their qualification back in March as winners of the Asia Qualifier.
Americas and EAP each host one qualifying event in 2023, with the winner of each event sealing a spot at the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Sri Lanka 2024.
The African, Asia and Europe regions each have a two-step qualification structure. These regions hosted Division 2 Qualifiers in 2022 to determine the teams that will compete in the second and final qualifying event, the Regional Qualifier, with events taking place in 2023.
Only the winning teams from the Regional Qualifiers will qualify to compete at the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Sri Lanka 2024.
In the European Regional Qualifiers, the Netherlands will be hosting the other nations from the 6th of August to the 12th of August. Participating teams include Guernsey, Italy, Jersey, Netherlands, Norway and Scotland.
In the Regional Qualifiers for American nations, Canada will be the host and the competition will be from the 1st to the 17th of August. Argentina, Bermuda, Canada, Suriname and the USA are the participating teams.
The Africa Regional Qualifier where the Junior yellow-greens of Nigeria will be gracing, Tanzania will be the host from the 23rd of July to the 30th. The countries that will be vying for the single ticket along with Nigeria include Kenya, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Uganda.
Nigeria, Kenya and Sierra Leone qualified for the Division 2 qualifier tournament held in Nigeria in October 2022.
The first game of the African Regional qualifiers will be the game between the host, Tanzania and Kenya on the 23rd of July, 2023.
The first action for the junior yellow greens will be against Sierra Leone in the first game on Monday, 24th July 2023. On Tuesday (afternoon), the 25th of July, they’ll lock horns against Uganda. Their next action will be against Tanzania on the 27th of July, after which they’ll have another day of rest before playing Kenya and Namibia On the 29th and 30th respectively.
Meanwhile, the junior yellow greens are already in Kigali, Rwanda where they are currently camped to intensify their preparations, thus familiarising themselves with the East African weather conditions. They are also expected to play a series of friendly matches in Kigali before travelling to Tanzania on the 21st of July for the qualifiers.