Samoa is set to host East Asia Pacific contenders Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Vanuatu for the U-19 World Cup Qualifiers. These teams will join hosts Samoa in the East Asia-Pacific Division 2 Qualifier starting on Tuesday.
Over four matchdays, one team will emerge to advance to the final stage of regional qualification. This will be the EAP Qualifier in Japan next year.
This event marks the initial phase for these teams on their journey to the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026 in Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Samoa Hosts Qualifiers for East Asia Pacific contenders. Here are the details:
Qualification for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026 continues this week, focusing on Samoa. East Asia-Pacific hopefuls aim to advance to the next phase on the road to Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Following the completion of Division 2 Qualifiers in Asia and Europe, and with ongoing competition in Africa, Samoa is the latest nation to host an event on the qualification calendar.
Starting Tuesday, Samoa will welcome Indonesia, PNG, and Vanuatu for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup East Asia-Pacific Division 2 Qualifier.
The matches will take place at two grounds at Garden Ovals, Apia, throughout the week. This will feature a round robin format among all competing teams. The top two teams will then compete in Saturday’s final.
Teams will be competing for a single spot in the next round of qualification. The winner in Samoa will advance closer to a World Cup berth. They will join Japan and Fiji in the EAP Qualifier in Japan, scheduled for April next year.
Here’s what the ICC regional manager said:
Toby Cohen, Acting ICC Regional Development Manager for East Asia-Pacific, commented on the upcoming Qualifiers.
“I am thrilled to welcome to Samoa the emerging U19 men’s players from across the East Asia-Pacific region, all aiming to gain a place in Japan on the road to the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2026.” Toby said.
“Each team has been training hard and is ready to give it their all to compete at the highest level. I would like to wish Samoa, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu all the very best for the event. I extend my sincere thanks to Samoa Cricket for hosting what will no doubt be an incredible celebration of international cricket in Samoa.” He added.
Match Schedule for the upcoming Qualifiers in Samoa:
Tuesday 6 August: Samoa v Vanuatu; Indonesia v PNG
Wednesday 7 August: Samoa v Indonesia; PNG v Vanuatu
Friday 9 August: Samoa v PNG; Vanuatu v Indonesia
Saturday 10 August: Final (1st v 2nd); Third-place playoff (3rd v 4th)
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