Australia U19s Set to Clash with India in Upcoming Series

MELBOURNE: Tim Nielsen, formerly a coach for the Australian men’s team and Pakistan’s high-performance red-ball coach, has been appointed as the head coach for Australia’s Under-19 team. This appointment precedes the home series against India, with the ICC U19 World Cup on the horizon.

Cricket Australia (CA) has announced a 15-member Australian squad that will compete against India U19s in Brisbane and Mackay next month. The series will consist of three 50-over matches and two four-day Youth Tests.

This series is scheduled as their concluding bilateral competition prior to the U19 World Cup in Zimbabwe and Namibia, slated for January 2026.

Notably, the squad will proceed without prominent batter Oliver Peake, who is scheduled to tour India concurrently with the Australia A side.

Match Schedule
  • Youth ODIs: September 21, 24, and 26 at Ian Healy Oval, Brisbane.
  • First Youth Test: September 30 at Ian Healy Oval, Brisbane.
  • Second Youth Test: October 7 in Mackay.
Background on Tim Nielsen

Nielsen’s coaching history includes leading the Australian men’s national team from 2007 to 2011, following his role as an assistant to John Buchanan and later as head coach of CA’s Centre of Excellence.

Before stepping down in February 2024, he held the position of high-performance manager for South Australia and the Adelaide Strikers.

Earlier in the year, Nielsen briefly served as Pakistan’s high-performance red-ball coach, working alongside Jason Gillespie, who was the Test coach for Pakistan at the time.

His new U19 role follows Lachlan Stevens’ resignation from his position as CA’s development coach.

The current U19 squad has undergone substantial changes since touring India in September–October of the previous year, where Australia experienced defeats of 2-0 and 3-0 in the Youth Test and Youth ODI series, respectively.

Only four players – Simon Budge, Steve Hogan, Hayden Schiller, and Alex Lee Young – have been retained from that previous squad.

India’s squad includes Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a batting talent who scored a rapid century off 58 balls during last year’s first Youth Test against Australia.

Peake, who also made a notable century in the second Youth Test in India, secured his call-up to the Australia A team following a strong first-class debut for Victoria in March and a score of 92 for Australia A against Sri Lanka A last month.

Despite still being eligible for the U19 World Cup, Peake’s participation remains uncertain because of commitments with the Melbourne Renegades in the BBL and Victoria’s Sheffield Shield campaign.

Sonya Thompson, CA’s Head of National Development, shared her enthusiasm for the upcoming challenge.

Thompson stated, “We’re eager to progress our preparations for the ongoing ICC U19 World cup cycle, utilizing an exciting group of emerging players.”

“This multi-format tour aims to challenge players to adapt and improve, while offering selectors and coaches significant insights as we approach the National U19 Championships in December.”

He further added, “We are also delighted to welcome Tim Nielsen as Head Coach of the National U19 squad. His vast international experience and leadership will play a vital role in mentoring Australia’s next generation of cricketers.”

Australia Under-19 Squad:

Simon Budge, Alex Turner, Steve Hogan, Will Malajczuk, Yash Deshmukh, Tom Hogan, Aryan Sharma, John James, Hayden Schiller, Charles Lachmund, Ben Gordon, Will Byrom, Kasey Barton, Alex Lee Young, Jayden Draper

Reserves:

Zed Hollick, Tom Paddington, Julian Osborne