A quartet of Queenslanders will have their chance to showcase their skills on the world stage next month.
Maroons Quartet For World Cup
The Maroon contingent of Steven Hogan, Jayden Draper (pictured), Charles Lachmund and Ben Gordon was today named in the Australian Under-19 World Cup squad.
Each of the players has represented Australia in the past 12 months, and recently played for Queensland in the National U-19 championships in Perth.
Lachmund, originally from Toowoomba, was named in the Team of the Tournament, with the Ipswich Hornets Premier Cricket player taking 13 wickets at 12.62.
ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026 will be held in Namibia and Zimbabwe from 15 January to 6 February.
Australia will enter the 50-over tournament as defending champions, with Oliver Peake appointed captain.
The squad will be led by former Australian coach Tim Nielsen, supported by Luke Butterworth and Travis Dean as assistant coaches.
Australia is placed in Group A alongside Ireland, Japan, and Sri Lanka. The team will arrive in Namibia in early January and play warm-up matches from 9–14 January.
Tim Nielsen, Head Coach Australia Men’s U19, said:
“We’re delighted to announce a strong and well-balanced squad for the ICC Under-19 World Cup.
“Our focus has been on selecting a group with complementary skill sets that provide the best chance of success in tournament. The players named have impressed with their performances during the U19 series against India in September and at the recent National U19 Championship in Perth.
“It’s an exciting group, some have already experienced senior training environments, while others are progressing rapidly through our pathway. The World Cup is a fantastic opportunity for these young cricketers to showcase their talent and test themselves against the best in the world.”
The Queensland quartet were all in action at the start of the season against the touring Indian Under-19 team, with Draper producing an eye-catching century in the Youth ODI at Ian Healy Oval.
Draper, named in the Team of the Tournament following the National Under-19 championships last season, hit the third fastest Youth ODI century of all time with a 65-ball ton.
He finished with 107 runs from 72 balls, with five sixes and eight fours.