England take on India in the Under-19 World Cup Final on Friday, February 6 and it is a showdown that could have a big impact on the future.
The England men's team currently sit 8th in the ODI world rankings after beating Sri Lanka 2-1 in their most recent series, despite a defeat in the first match up.
With only the top 8 ranked teams guaranteed qualification at the 2027 ODI World Cup, the recent failures across the format have brought into question England's place at the tournament. A dramatic fall after such an incredible performance winning the 2019 World Cup.
From inside the camp it is the same excuses that England fans have heard over the last few years.
"We've probably struggled with the aggressiveness of the way we want to play. It's about capitalising on good starts." Was the excuse given by white ball captain Harry Brook to Sky Sports, yet pundits blame the lack of One day cricket played by the England team.
The current schedule means that The Hundred and the Metro Bank One Day Cup run simultaneously, with the big names and senior players competing in the shorter format. This has left counties with no option but to filter in younger academy players into their sides.
Under-19 World Cup Provides Hope For The Future
Ironically, England’s neglect of domestic one-day cricket could be a blessing in disguise. The England Under 19’s face off against India on Friday in the Under 19 World Cup Final.
England sat top of their group and second in their super 6 group, on net run rate, before convincingly defeating Australia in the semi final on Tuesday.
The England team look wise beyond their years, with the amount of white ball cricket under their belts. Players such as James Minto, Thomas Rew and Farhan Ahmed have been inside their counties squads for the majority of the last English summer.
Captain and arguably player of the tournament Thomas Rew has 11 List A games to his name, majority for Somerset, with an average of 44. Rew also made his First class debut for the England Lions in December alongside his brother James.
Rew caught the eye of ex-England seamer Stuart Broad, with Broad saying "they're ones to watch out for” when discussing the Lions squad on channel 7 during the Ashes Series.
Rew will be hoping to replicate his 110 that he scored against Australia when he goes up against 14 year old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and his Indian team who dismissed Afghanistan with ease on Wednesday, by 7 wickets.
Despite the result of Friday's final, English cricket looks like it should be in safe hands with the evidence suggesting England’s next generation is far better prepared for white-ball cricket than the current side.