The ICC U-19 World Cup will get started this week, with the first round of matches in group play set to take place on February 14. The event will be hosted by the United Arab Emirates for the first time, and naturally features a slew of perennial international contenders.
So in advance of the event, let’s take a quick look at each of the four groups, and which teams seem likeliest to advance to the Super League.
Group A
Group A consists of India, Pakistan, Scotland, and Papua New Guinea, with fixtures set for February 15, 17, and 19. India are the defending champions, but will open the tournament with a difficult fixture against Pakistan, who will be the other key challenger in this group. Odds are that the winner of this opening fixture will win the group, with the loser ultimately coming in 2nd place in Group A. Scotland and Papua New Guinea are fairly significant underdogs in this group. It’s worth noting also, as you watch this group play out, that India are likely to open as the overall betting favourite for the tournament, though you can keep your eye on the Betfair odds over the course of the next week for updates on individual match odds and tournament victor odds alike.
Group B
Group B features Australia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Namibia, and it will be played in matches on the same dates as Group A. Australia is historically the most successful team in the tournament, so they are a strong favourite to emerge victorious from Group B with 9/2 odds to win the tournament outright. The drama here will be which country gets by in second place, with Bangladesh and Afghanistan both looking capable.
Group C
Group C features South Africa, the West Indies, Zimbabwe, and Canada, and it’s probably the weakest group in the tournament field. Fixtures are set for February 14, 16, and 18. West Indies will be the favourite to advance from Group C and should be able to manage three wins, while South Africa ought to be able to pull off second place. That said, the South Africans will open with West Indies, meaning they’ll get the latter’s best shot, whereas Canada may have the advantage of playing West Indies once they’ve already advanced to the Super League.
Group D
Group D consists of New Zealand, England, Sri Lanaka, and the host nation UAE. Fixtures are set for the same dates as those in Group C. New Zealand will be the strong favourite to advance, while England and Sri Lanka should fight for the No. 2 spot. Emirates 24/7 has a detailed analysis of UAE’s status as the underdog in Group D, but any host nation in an international event can get a boost from playing at home. Also, England is at least a beatable side. It’s conceivable that UAE could compete for the second spot, but in all likelihood Group D is a three-team race.
It’s always an entertaining event and with all the usual contenders in place, 2014 should be no exception. Enjoy the group stages, and best of luck to your team!
