Azeem Rafiq reinstated as captain

Azeem Rafiq, the 18-year-old Yorkshire offspinner, has been named England's captain at next year's Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand. A 15-man squad had already been announced last month.

Rafiq, born in Karachi, has returned to the post he relinquished midway through England's recent one-day series in Bangladesh. He was first appointed captain for last summer's home one-day international series against the same opposition, which England lost 2-1.

He had been embroiled in a registration row during the 2008 summer, having made his debut for Yorkshire in a crunch Twenty20 match against Nottinghamshire last season. Rafiq was subsequently found to be ineligible to play first-class cricket in England. The club were excluded from the Twenty20 Cup and fined £1000.

England's first match in the group stages will be against Hong Kong on January 16, followed by Afghanistan on January 18 and India, the current World Cup holders, on January 20