The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced South Africa captain Raynard van Tonder to lead the team of the Under-19 Cricket World Cup which ended in Tauranga, New Zealand with India emerging triumphant by eight wickets over Australia to claim the title for the record fourth time.
Van Tonder, who aggregated 348 runs in six matches including the highest score of 143 against Kenya, was selected to lead ahead of other captains for his better cricket acumen. South Africa went out of the reckoning for the title with a three-wicket loss to Pakistan in the quarter-finals but finished fifth beating Bangladesh by eight wickets in a play-off, which saw Tonder knocking up an unbeaten 82.
The team has five Indian players, which includes the top three in the batting line-up – captain Prithvi Shaw (261 runs), player of the final Manjot Kalra (252 runs) and player of the tournament Shubman Gill (372 runs). Left-arm spinner Anukul Roy (14 wickets) and fast bowler Kamlesh Nagarkoti (9 wickets) are the other Indians named in the team.
Apart from van Tonder, the other South Africa players in the team are wicket-keeper Wandile Makwetu and fast bowler Gerald Coetzee. Makwetu had 11 scalps during the tournament besides some useful runs while fast bowler Gerald Coetzee finished with eight wickets.
New Zealand batsman Finn Allen was rewarded for a consistent run which saw him get 338 runs while Pakistan’s left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Afridi (12 wickets) and Afghanistan leg-spinner Qais Ahmad (14 wickets) are the ones in the playing eleven.
Windies batsman Alick Athanaze was named the 12th man after finishing as the highest run-scorer in the tournament with 418 runs, which included centuries against Sri Lanka and Kenya.
ICC Under-19 World Cup 2018 team (in batting order):
- Prithvi Shaw (India) – 261 runs
- Manjot Kalra (India) – 252 runs
- Shubman Gill (India) – 372 runs
- Finn Allen (New Zealand) – 338 runs
- Raynard van Tonder (South Africa, captain) – 348 runs
- Wandile Makwetu (wicket-keeper) (South Africa) – 184 runs and 11 dismissals (all catches)
- Anukul Roy (India) – 14 wickets
- Kamlesh Nagarkoti (India) – 9 wickets
- Gerald Coetzee (South Africa) – 8 wickets
- Qais Ahmad (Afghanistan) – 14 wickets
- Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan) – 12 wickets
- Alick Athanaze (Windies) – 418 runs (12th man)
