DUBLIN – A fourteen-player squad, captained by Pembroke’s Oliver Riley, has been selected for an upcoming tour of Zimbabwe in what will also be a first-ever tour for the side in the southern African country.
The five-match 50-over series against Zimbabwe Under-19s Men starting on 3 April 2025 in Harare also marks a concentrated period of build-up as Peter Johnston’s side prepare for the 2026 ICC Under-19s Men’s World Cup which will be hosted in Namibia and Zimbabwe in January next year.
IRELAND U19 MEN’S SQUAD
Oliver Riley (Pembroke) (captain), Alex Armstrong (CIYMS), Sebastian Dijkstra (Merrion), Thomas Ford (Ireland Academy), Adam Leckey (CSNI), Peter le Roux (Railway Union), Febin Manoj (The Hills), Ethan Marshall (Clontarf), Daniel Murray (Pembroke), Robert O’Brien (Railway Union), Freddie Ogilby (Bready), James West (CSNI) (vice-captain), Reuben Wilson (Clontarf), Sebastian Yeates (CSNI)
Travelling support staff: Peter Johnston (Head Coach), Nigel Jones (Assistant Coach), Albert van der Merwe (Team Manager)
Non-travelling reserves: Charlie Downey (Newbuildings), Brian Dunphy (North County), Samuel Haslett (Bonds Glen), Bruce Whaley (Pembroke)
FIXTURES
- 3rd April 2025: Ireland U19 Men v Zimbabwe U19 Men – 1st YODI (Harare Sports Club; start 9:15am)
- 5th April 2025: Ireland U19 Men v Zimbabwe U19 Men – 2nd YODI (Harare Sports Club; start 9:15am)
- 7th April 2025: Ireland U19 Men v Zimbabwe U19 Men – 3rd YODI (Harare Sports Club; start 9:15am)
- 10th April 2025: Ireland U19 Men v Zimbabwe U19 Men – 4th YODI (Takashinga; start 9:15am)
- 12th April 2025: Ireland U19 Men v Zimbabwe U19 Men – 5th YODI (Takashinga; start 9:15am)
* all times local to the venue
Peter Johnston, Head Coach of the Ireland U19 Men’s team, said:
“This is an exciting tour for the squad and a great opportunity for the players to get some competitive cricket after a long winter. We have had a productive period of training across the country with Strength & Conditioning as well as skill sessions that commenced in October last year. The players have also benefited from Testing Days, Sport Psychology and Nutrition support. This tour will expose the players to strong competition and allow them to experience different conditions. With the next ICC U19 Men’s World Cup being co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia, we may well end up back in Harare in January 2026. So it will be a great learning experience.
“We have also had some good battles with Zimbabwe U19 Men over the last number of years. We played each other in a four-match series in Barbados, prior to the U19 Men’s World Cup in 2022, crossing paths again in the Plate semi-final on route to the final. Prior to the 2024 U19 Men’s World Cup in South Africa, we played each other three times as part of our build up.
“For both teams it is good to see players transition from those experiences up the ladder. From that 2022 World Cup Plate semi-final, it was great to see Mathew Humphreys, Tim Tector for Ireland and Brian Bennett for Zimbabwe lock horns again during the recent Senior Men’s series between Zimbabwe and Ireland, while Jordan Neill from our 2024 squad was also called up to that senior tour of Zimbabwe.
“Following on from two successive best-ever finishes by Ireland U19 Men’s Teams at World Cup’s, it comes as no surprise that this is the toughest selection we’ve ever had at this level. One of the objectives is to try build depth and competition in the squad while we will also be monitoring Provincial, Irish and club cricket opportunities as the home season progresses.”
