Malaysia announce Under-19 squad

Malaysia, the hosts of the Under-19 World Cup, have announced a 15-member squad for the tournament, with batsman Ahmed Faiz being handed the captaincy.

Faiz, a student of the Bandar Penawar Sports School, was, according to the website of the Malaysian Cricket Association, the unanimous choice of the selection committee for the role. This comes after he led the U-19s in two series last year; one against India, Sri Lanka and England, and a few friendly matches against Australia and Bangladesh. Faris Alam-Lee, a former student of the Victoria Institution, will be Faiz's deputy.

The selection committee had opted to give equal prominence to pace and spin, choosing four players to fill each department. Meanwhile, offspinner Raj Chandra, who was part of the U-19s' recent tour of Bangladesh, has been included in squad.

Malaysia are drawn in Group A alongside defending champions Pakistan, whom they play in the opening match of the tournament on February 17, New Zealand and Zimbabwe.

Squad: Ahmed Faiz (capt), Faris Alam-Lee (vice-captain), Aminuddin Ramly, Sarath Ananthasivam, Faizal Hassan, Fauzi Arifin, Kasman Kaderi, Mohammad Miran, Nik Azril Arifin, Norwira Zazmie, Raj Chandra, Shafiq Sharif (wk), Shahid Ali Khan, Shahrulnizam Yusof, Suharril Fetri