The young Tigers will go to South Africa with high ambition to retain the title of the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup where they triumphed it four years back.
Bangladesh will begin their campaign of 2024 in the "the city of roses", Bloemfontein with taking on India when they ended the tournament of 2020 with defeating them in the final at Potchefstroom, some 321.8km away.
Meanwhile, the 15th edition of the Under-19 World Cup was scheduled to take place in Sri Lanka but due to ICC ban on Sri Lanka, the tournament was shifted to South Africa, where the previous edition was held in 2020. The South Africa bound Bangladesh team comprised all the members of the U-19 Asia Cup winning side and now they dream of retaining the title, they won in 2020.
The young Tigers will sail to South Africa with morally high and big inspirations of winning the Asia Cup 2023.
Tigers won the Asia Cup in Style when they outshined all the Asian powerhouses and the giants in world cricket - India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh triumphed the Asia Cup just leaving behind the top rated and the other title contenders. The young Tigers out played the five times champions India in the seminal on their way to the final.
However, the young Tigers are heading to South Africa capitalizing on their exciting performance throughout the Asia Cup and expecting to maintain the progress.
Incidentally Tigers will begin their campaign with taking on Men in Blue, when they celebrated the championship in 2020 defeating them in the final.
Apart from the captain Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby, head of coach Stuart Law and the chief selector of the junior side Hannan Sarker, considering the performances in the Asia Cup where they were unbeaten champion believe in the boys’ competence. Both the coach and the selector are very much positive about retaining the title. Hannan Sarkar, former Bangladesh national colour during the announcement of the squad put across his impression about the team when he said, “We’re considered a big team at this level now, we want to keep up the winning character.”
Hannan highlighted the crucial knockout stage, “Two wins at the knockout stage bring the title home, but will cross the hurdle one after another.”
Actually, players’ appearances with brilliant all round in the Asia Cup encouraged all to dream a lot with the World Cup when the young Tigers roared louder than ever, the way they prove their mettle.
Though the success was earend through combined efforts with all-win record for Bangladesh in the Asia Cup, specially Ashiqur Rahman Shibli on top. Shibli scored the highest 371 runs form four matches with a couple of century and as many half century.
Shibli, the opening batter hammered a brilliant century in the final which steered Bangladesh to clinch the Under-19 Asia Cup just outclassing the hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE) by 195 runs.
Apart from Ashique, bowlers also played excellent role throughout the tournament when their all-rounder unit, featuring both spin and pace attacks.
But the head coach Stuart Law, despite expecting a high from this team said that the boys would have to execute the plan properly to translate their talent on the field to sustain their success.