India, Pakistan in same group for U-19 WC

The Under-19 World Cup will kick off in the UAE on February 14, with England, New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies scheduled for action on the opening day. Defending champions India will open their campaign against two-time winners Pakistan the next day.

The tournament features 16 teams divided into four groups and the top two would progress to the quarter-finals. The other two teams from each group will compete in the Plate Championship quarter-finals.

Angelo Mathews, the Sri Lanka captain, considered the under-19 world cup to be an important stepping stone for young players. "Having played in a couple of ICC U19 Cricket World Cups, I can tell you that this is the best stage for any raw talent to polish his skills and see if he's worthy enough of progressing to the biggest stage of them all - international cricket at the senior level," he said.

Afghanistan, Canada, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, United Arab Emirates and the 10 Full Member nations will compete in 48 matches, which will be staged across seven venues in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai.