When the Young Lions begin their ICC Men’s World Cup campaign in Harare on Friday two of the players in the squad, Farhan Ahmed and Sebastian Morgan, will know more than most what to expect.
The pair both played in the U19s World Cup two years ago – opening the bowling together in a match against Australia – and that experience is set to be important over the next month.
Ahmed will be vice-captain, after he led the team in the recent Youth ODI series in the Caribbean, with Thomas Rew returning from England Lions duty to resume the captaincy.
The Young Lions face a tough opening clash on Friday against a strong Pakistan outfit before meeting hosts Zimbabwe and neighbours Scotland in Group B. The group’s top three teams progress to the Super 6 stage.
“We’ve been training hard and we’re ready to go,” said Middlesex seamer Morgan, who is one of 13 players in the squad who enjoyed first-team county experience last summer, most memorably hitting 97 in the Rothesay County Championship after coming out to bat at 10 against Gloucestershire.
That depth of experience could be key as England attempt to be crowned men’s U19s world champions for the first time since 1998, when the likes of Rob Key and Graeme Swann were in action.
Ahmed was England’s second-leading wicket-taker at the U19s World Cup two years ago and, after making another step-up last season by playing eight matches in Nottinghamshire’s Rothesay County Championship success, he has warned his team-mates to expect the unexpected.
“It’s a World Cup, so anything can happen,” Ahmed said. “Pakistan might look stronger on paper (than Zimbabwe or Scotland), but that doesn’t mean anything. We have to bring our A game for all three matches to put ourselves in the best position.
“Pakistan’s top three bat well and take the game deep for them. Their bowlers can also come into the game early and strike with the new ball. So there’s a lot to be ready for.”
Morgan believes England’s mental approach to each game will go a long way to determining their success. He believes his and Ahmed’s experience two years ago has provided crucial lessons this time around.
“It’s quite a big thing,” he said. “For a lot of the lads, it’ll be their first time on TV and playing in front of a decent crowd, which brings an extra bit of pressure.
“From last time, one thing I’m taking into this is seeing pressure as a bit of a gift. It’s nice to feel that pressure and be able to perform under it. It feels so much better than when there’s almost nothing on the line.
“Being able to represent your country at such an important level is a really good feeling. We’re going to make it quite clear as a squad that it’s an honour, and that you should really enjoy yourself rather worry about pressure.”
Ahmed agrees. “Representing your country is a huge honour and privilege and I’m delighted to have the opportunity. Things don’t get much better at this age than representing your country at a World Cup, in an overseas country as well. I’m really looking forward to it.
“In the camps we’ve had, we’ve spoken about how important previous experiences are. We’re always talking about sticking together. There’s going to be more noise in this competition, so staying tight and backing each other up is going to be massively important.”
Belief runs high across the squad, though. Head coach Mike Yardy has already described the next few weeks as a chance to “do something special” and Morgan said the Young Lions’ summer series against India confirmed they can mix it with the best.
India are the tournament favourites, with their teen sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi already boasting an IPL century.
England showed they are beatable after claiming a 20-run rain-affected win in their warm-up match in Bulawayo, which came after India won last summer's Youth ODI series 3-2.
“Obviously, the series (in England) didn’t quite go our way – but I think it showed a lot,” said Morgan, who removed Sooryavanshi cheaply in Monday's warm-up game.
“We know they can be beaten, and we know we have the ability to beat them when we play our best. That’s always a nice thing to take into a competition, because if you play your best in most games, you’re likely to go a long way.”
England Men U19s World Cup fixtures (all start times are 07:30 GMT)
Friday 16 January: England Men U19s v Pakistan Men U19s – Takashinga Sports Club, Harare
Sunday 18 January: England Men U19s v Zimbabwe Men U19s – Takashinga Sports Club, Harare
Wednesday 21 January: England Men U19s v Scotland Men U19s – Takashinga Sports Club, Harare