Pakistan's 16-year-old paceman Naseem Shah. AFP
Pakistan's 16-year-old paceman Naseem Shah. AFP
Pakistan's 16-year-old paceman Naseem Shah. AFP
Pakistan's 16-year-old paceman Naseem Shah. AFP

Top 20 cricketers under the age of 20 waiting to be unleashed


Paul Radley
  • English
  • Arabic

The suspension of cricket has meant different things for players wherever they are on the age spectrum.

Some will feel they are missing valuable time in their primes. Others will hope to see top-flight action again, before signing off their careers.

Many others will have been hoping to announce themselves to the wider world at about this time, either in the international game or via franchise league cricket.

At least all those guys have time on their side. Here are 20 of the most talented players aged under 20 emerging in the world game.

Naseem Shah (Pakistan, 17)

Handled correctly, Pakistan have a pace attack that should be a force to be reckoned with for the next decade. Shah already has a Test hat-trick to his name.

Yashasvi Jaiswal (India, 18)

Should have been playing in the Indian Premier League this month, having been signed by Rajasthan Royals for $340,000. Left-handed opener with power.

Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal, 19)

The leg-spinner has two years of IPL experience under his belt, and is arguably the outstanding bowler outside of the Test sphere already.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Afghanistan, 19)

Only turned 19 at the end of March, but has played a Test, a World Cup, as well as as an overseas player in UAE, Australia, England, Bangladesh and India.

Akbar Ali (Bangladesh, 18)

The wicketkeeper has been much feted in Bangladesh – where he was termed Akbar the Great – after overseeing their first U19 World Cup win in February.

Jayden Seales (West Indies, 18)

Picked out by both Ian Bishop and Tom Moody as one for the near future for West Indies after the U19 World Cup, and the pace bowler has since landed a CPL deal.

Shafiqullah Ghafari (Afghanistan, 18)

Afghanistan are inundated with young, talented spinners. Where Mujeeb, Rashid Khan, Zahir Khan, and Qais Ahmed have led, leg-spinner Ghafari is sure to follow.

Haider Ali (Pakistan, 19)

Reinforced a reputation he had already etched out at the U19 World Cup with an eye-catching campaign in Peshawar Zalmi’s middle-order in the PSL.

Shoriful Islam (Bangladesh, 18)

Bangladesh are no strangers to bringing through fiery left-arm quicks via U19 World Cups – see Mustafizur Rahman – and Shoriful might be next.

Tanveer Sangha (Australia, 18)

The leg-spinner became the youngest player to land a BBL contract when Sydney Thunder signed him up aged 17 years and 346 days.

Ravi Bishnoi (India, 19)

The son of a school headmaster was one of the players of the tournament in the U19 World Cup in South Africa, where his leg-spin and googly combinations made him the leading wicket-taker.

Rakibul Hasan (Bangladesh, 17)

The left-arm orthodox bowler’s control in the middle-overs was central to Bangladesh winning their first U19 world title in February.

Jonathan Figy (UAE, 18)

Dubai-born, Abu Dhabi-raised, now at university in England, he was the first centurion at this year’s U19 World Cup, having already played senior ODI cricket.

Hamidullah Qadri (England, 19)

Became the first county cricketer born this millennium when he debuted for Derbyshire in 2017. The Kandahar-born off-spinner was in the wickets at the U19 World Cup.

Kushal Malla (Nepal, 16)

Overtook the likes of Sachin Tendullkar and Shahid Afridi when he became the youngest player to score an ODI 50 aged just 15 earlier this year.

Tom Mackintosh (Scotland, 16)

Born in Madrid, Scotland’s wicketkeeper gave a sneak peak of his talent ahead of the World Cup with a blistering hundred in a practice game against UAE in Dubai in January.

Kartik Tyagi (India, 19)

A farmer’s son who was mentored by the same coach as Praveen Kumar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, he landed an IPL deal with Rajasthan Royals after thriving in South Africa.

Rohail Nazir (Pakistan, 18)

Captained Pakistan to the semifinal at the U19 World Cup, before going on to catch the eye with the bat in the two brief cameos he managed in the PSL that followed.

Bryce Parsons (South Africa, 19)

The left-handed batsman is another from the prolific production line that South Africa will be hoping they can keep hold of rather than seeing him seek opportunities elsewhere.

Priyam Garg (India, 19)

India’s U19 captain already has a first-class double century to his name, as well as two tons in List A limited-overs cricket, and is due to play for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL.

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

 


 

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

NBA FINALS SO FAR

(Toronto lead 3-2 in best-of-seven series)

Game 1 Raptors 118 Warriors 109

Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109

Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123

Game 4 Warriors 92 Raptors 105

Game 5 Raptors 105 Warriors 106

Game 6 Thursday, at Oakland

Game 7 Sunday, at Toronto (if needed)

GOLF’S RAHMBO

- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

Bio:

Favourite Quote: Prophet Mohammad's quotes There is reward for kindness to every living thing and A good man treats women with honour

Favourite Hobby: Serving poor people 

Favourite Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite food: Fish and vegetables

Favourite place to visit: London

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zack%20Snyder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sofia%20Boutella%2C%20Charlie%20Hunnam%2C%20Ed%20Skrein%2C%20Sir%20Anthony%20Hopkins%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
TOURNAMENT INFO

Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier

Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November

UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi

Zidane's managerial achievements

La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017

VEZEETA PROFILE

Date started: 2012

Founder: Amir Barsoum

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: HealthTech / MedTech

Size: 300 employees

Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)

Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC

Profile box

Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Tabby%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%20August%202019%3B%20platform%20went%20live%20in%20February%202020%3Cbr%3EFounder%2FCEO%3A%20Hosam%20Arab%2C%20co-founder%3A%20Daniil%20Barkalov%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Payments%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%2040-50%20employees%3Cbr%3EStage%3A%20Series%20A%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Arbor%20Ventures%2C%20Mubadala%20Capital%2C%20Wamda%20Capital%2C%20STV%2C%20Raed%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Founders%20Capital%2C%20JIMCO%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20Venture%20Souq%2C%20Outliers%20VC%2C%20MSA%20Capital%2C%20HOF%20and%20AB%20Accelerator.%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Klipit%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Venkat%20Reddy%2C%20Mohammed%20Al%20Bulooki%2C%20Bilal%20Merchant%2C%20Asif%20Ahmed%2C%20Ovais%20Merchant%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Digital%20receipts%2C%20finance%2C%20blockchain%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%244%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Privately%2Fself-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV

Power: 360bhp

Torque: 500Nm

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Price: from Dh282,870

On sale: now

Biog

Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara

He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada

Father of two sons, grandfather of six

Plays golf once a week

Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family

Walks for an hour every morning

Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India

2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business

 

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

Graduated from the American University of Sharjah

She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters

Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks

Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding

 

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Saturday's schedule at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

GP3 race, 12:30pm

Formula 1 final practice, 2pm

Formula 1 qualifying, 5pm

Formula 2 race, 6:40pm

Performance: Sam Smith

Friday's schedule at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

GP3 qualifying, 10:15am

Formula 2, practice 11:30am

Formula 1, first practice, 1pm

GP3 qualifying session, 3.10pm

Formula 1 second practice, 5pm

Formula 2 qualifying, 7pm

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Keep it fun and engaging

Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.

“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.

His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.

He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.