Ralphie Albert Lands England U-19 Captaincy for Pakistan Tour

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-10-27

Surrey allrounder Ralphie Albert will lead England Under-19s on their tour of Pakistan in December. Nottinghamshire's Farhan Ahmed steps in as his vice-captain, and the two will guide an 18-player squad through a busy winter schedule. The trip packs in three Youth ODIs and one Youth Test, all staged in Rawalpindi. Before any of that, though, the players head to Sri Lanka for a 12-day training camp running from November 19 to 30. Smart move, if you ask me. Getting used to subcontinental conditions before the real thing kicks off is half the battle. ### Who's in the England U-19 Squad? The England and Wales Cricket Board named the full group, and there's a nice mix of experience and fresh faces in there. Worcestershire left-arm seamer Jeet Varaich is the only uncapped player in the squad. He's earned his first Young Lions call-up, which is a big moment for the kid. A couple of players will only travel for the Sri Lanka camp. Marley Simpson and Luke Symington fall into that category. Meanwhile, Charlie Taylor and Manny Lumsden will link up with the squad in Rawalpindi, and both will follow individual programmes tailored to developing fast bowlers. Here's the full 18-player squad: - Ralphie Albert (captain) - Farhan Ahmed - Subhaan Ali - Robbie Bowman - Tom Bradley - Thomas Edwards - Luke Hands - Theo Lamey - Manny Lumsden - Bertie Michael - Isaac Mohammad - Joe Moores - Jack Nelson - Leo Selvey-Clinton - Marley Simpson - Luke Symington - Charlie Taylor - Jeet Varaich ### England U19 vs Pakistan U19 Schedule Preparation starts with the camp in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from November 19 to November 30. From there, the team flies to Pakistan, and the limited-overs series gets going in the first week of December. Here's how the calendar shapes up: - November 19-30: Training camp, Colombo, Sri Lanka - December 5: First Youth ODI, Rawalpindi - December 7: Second Youth ODI, Rawalpindi - December 9: Third Youth ODI, Rawalpindi - December 13-16: Youth Test, Rawalpindi This tour follows the series the two sides played in England over the summer. Albert actually featured in the Under-19 Test against Pakistan at Arundel on September 2, so he knows what to expect from this opposition. One detail worth noting: Rawalpindi hosts all four matches. That means the players stay put in one city for the entire Pakistan leg. Less travel, more focus on cricket. Not a bad setup for a young group. ### Neil Killeen Takes the Reins as Interim Head Coach Former Durham seamer Neil Killeen will oversee the squad on an interim basis. He's taken over as head coach of the Young Lions for their winter programme after Mike Yardy moved into the role of Elite National Batting Lead. The winter programme also includes a tour of Australia early next year. Joe Denly, Steve Mullaney and Kyle Hogg will support Killeen as part of the coaching team. Killeen said he's looking forward to leading this group of young players and coaches through the winter schedule. He sees the tour as a real chance for the players to experience new countries and conditions. The coaching staff, he added, will help them develop in a high-quality environment as they push toward international cricket. He also reckons Sri Lanka is the right spot for the camp. The squad will use that time to prepare for what he expects to be a tough contest in Pakistan, especially after the summer series. > "The camp in Colombo gives us time to adjust to subcontinental conditions before the Youth ODIs begin," Killeen noted, pointing to the value of settling in early. That adjustment period matters. Going from English conditions to the heat and turning pitches of the subcontinent is no small shift. Twelve days in Sri Lanka should help the players find their footing. All told, it's a packed winter for England's next generation. Between the captaincy appointment, a first call-up for Varaich, and Killeen steering the ship, there's plenty to keep an eye on when the action starts in December.