Zimbabwe will host an exciting Under-19 tri-nation series featuring Afghanistan and Pakistan as part of their final preparations for the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026. The build-up tournament, beginning on Christmas Day in Harare, offers the Young Chevrons valuable competitive match practice before the global event co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia in January and February next year.
The action gets underway on 25 December when Zimbabwe U19 take on Afghanistan U19 at Harare Sports Club. That will be followed by Afghanistan’s meeting with Pakistan U19 on 27 December, also in Harare. The tri-series moves across several venues, with Zimbabwe facing Pakistan U19 at Prince Edward School on 29 December and returning against Afghanistan at Sunrise Sports Club on 31 December.
Afghanistan and Pakistan will meet again on 2 January, before Zimbabwe close their round-robin fixtures against Pakistan at Old Hararians Sports Club on 4 January. The top two teams will then contest the tri-series final two days later.
Zimbabwe Cricket’s leadership has made clear that the tri-nation series is an essential stepping stone for their young squad. Playing back-to-back matches against strong sides like Afghanistan and Pakistan will give these emerging players crucial exposure and sharpen their skills ahead of the ICC U19 World Cup.
With the global tournament looming, this home series represents an important opportunity for Zimbabwe’s Under-19 side to build confidence, test combinations and gain momentum on familiar pitches before the world’s best junior teams arrive.
