The BCB declared a 15-man squad for the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2022 in early December. The Bangladesh U19 team flew to the UAE in the same month to take part in the 9th edition of the ACC U19 Asia Cup. It took place in the last week of December 2021. However, this competition provided good preparation for the World Cup despite Bangladesh’s loss to India in the semifinal. The SWOT analysis for the 2022 ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup is discussed in this article. 

SWOT Study of Bangladesh Youth Squad for the ICC U19 World Cup 2022

The current squad includes three players of the 2020 U19 World Cup-winning team. With the present lineup, Bangladesh's youth team is very much capable of retaining the championship. Let's take a look at Bangladesh U19 World Cup squad: Rakibul Hasan (c), Prantik Nawrose Nabil, Mohammad Fahim, Mushfik Hasan, Iftikher Hossain, Ariful Islam, Mahfijul Islam, Tahjibul Islam, Abdullah Al Mamun, SM Meherob, Aich Mollah, Ripon Mondol, Naimur Rohman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Ashikur Zaman, Ariful Islam, Mahfijul, (Reserve Players: Ahosun Habib Leon, Jishan Alam)  

Read: U-19 Asia Cup: Bangladesh lost to India in semifinal

Strength

The main strength for Bangladesh's U19 World Cup squad is having Youth World Cup champions Rakibul Hasan, Tanzim Sakib, and Prantik Nabil. These guys know what it takes to win the World Championship. Their presence in the squad will motivate other players.

In terms of squad strength, the Bangladesh Youth team boasts a diverse bowling lineup. There are some prospective medium pacers in the team, as well as a few right-arm off-spinners. These players have gained experience playing in a variety of conditions over the last year. As expected, slow left-arm orthodox spinner Naimur Rahman is Bangladesh's most successful youth bowler in 2021. In 11 matches, he took 18 wickets at a fantastic average of 19.22. Naimur was the only Bangladeshi bowler to take 5 wickets in an innings in 2021. Therefore, the bowling unit will have to play the most essential roles in the competition if the Bangladesh U19 team wants to retain the ICC World Youth Championship.

Read: Shakib nominated for ICC Men's ODI Player of the Year

Notable bowling stats (Youth ODI) by Bangladesh cricketers in 2021 

 Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/

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Weakness

Bangladesh had some excellent top-order batters in the most recent edition of the ICC U19 World Cup. Those players assisted Bangladesh in winning many matches during the 2020 edition of the tournament. Prantik Nabil, who was a part of the 2020 Bangladesh U19 World Cup squad, will play at no. 3 in the upcoming event. Prantik's average in 2021 was under 20 and he didn't even get a half-century. On the other hand, openers Mahfijul and Tahjibul had a decent year. Mahfijul had a 25.83 average and two fifties in 2021. Therefore, Bangladesh's top order has some weaknesses that must be addressed before the major event.

Notable Youth ODI batting stats (Top Order) by Bangladesh cricketers in 2021 

 Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/

Read ICC U19 World Cup 2022 Fixtures: Bangladesh to Face England in Group Phase

Notable Youth ODI batting stats (Middle Order) by Bangladesh cricketers in 2021     

 Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/

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Opportunity   

First and foremost, it will be a fantastic opportunity for skipper Rakibul Hasan to win his second U19 World Cup title in a row. Furthermore, winning the event as captain will be a significant achievement for Rakibul. Aich Mollah, Tanzim Sakib, Md Fahim, Naimur Rahman, and Ripon Mondol are also on the radar of national selectors. The BCB's cricket experts consider these players in high esteem. As a result, they will have a great opportunity to showcase their skills in the competition. 

Read NZ vs BAN Test Series 2022: Five Bangladesh Players to keep an eye on

Threat

Finding the right combination could be one of Bangladesh's major challenges during the campaign. They will play three games in the group stage. The team management will have to choose their best playing XI by participating in these three matches. Identifying the opponent's weak points would be a big challenge for the Bangladesh U19 team think tank.   

Probable playing XI

Mahfijul Islam, Tahjibul Islam, Prantik Nawrose Nabil, Aich Mollah, Ariful Islam, Mohammad Fahim, SM Meherob, Ashikur Zaman, Naimur Rohman, Rakibul Hasan (c), Tanzim Hasan Sakib 

Bottom Line  

In the group stage, the Bangladesh U19 team will battle for a place in the quarter-finals. With the exception of England, the remainder of the two teams in Group A are considerably weaker. Therefore, Bangladesh should easily move to the first knockout round. Bangladesh's young team management will be able to pick their best playing XI for the competition by taking part in the group phase.    

The Caribbean islands will host the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2022 starting from January 14. The West Indian Cricket Board has selected four locations to host the fourteenth edition of the youth World Cup. The majority of them will most likely be sporting pitches where both batters and bowlers may benefit from the wickets. As a result, Bangladesh's youth side has a decent possibility of succeeding in this competition. However, Bangladesh will need a solid start in order to maintain consistency later in the tournament. Bangladesh have a good setup for the World Cup overall, and it is now up to them to prove it on the field. 

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