Sports
Naveed Nawaz compares Junior cricket structure of Bangladesh with Sri Lanka
by Reemus Fernando
Former Sri Lanka national player Naveed Nawaz has been involved in coaching Under-19 national players for more than a decade now. Some of the players who were under him when he was the coach of the Sri Lanka Under-19 team are now competing in the ICC T20 World Cup. In Bangladesh, he had immense success when the team he coached went on to become the Youth World Cup champions at the last edition. Some of the players he coached in that team too have gone on to represent the country at the senior national level. His success with the Bangladesh Under-19 team has earned him accolades and a worthy job extension beyond the upcoming Youth World Cup. However, Nawaz is not with the Bangladesh Under-19 team currently touring Sri Lanka. He is in Australia attending to a family matter but is confident that his charges will be well looked after by his staff during the five-match series starting on Friday.
In an interview with The Island, the former Sri Lanka Under-19 coach compared and contrasted the challenges in the two countries where junior players come from two different structures.
“If you compare the Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi Under-19 systems the player turn out in the Bangladesh Under-19 programme is much less than the Sri Lankan Under-19 programme. Due to the strong school cricket structure in Sri Lanka, there is a good player turnout and a bigger pool of players to select from. In Bangladesh, the numbers are lesser than that. The number of players we pick the Under-19 team from is much less. I would consider it as a disadvantage because sometimes you are restricted to a lesser number of players. Some challengers like the variety of players that you are looking for are really not there. But due to the strong Club Cricket system in Bangladesh and also the Provincial Cricket system in Bangladesh a lot of players at a very early age get exposed to playing First and Second Division cricket. They play a lot of cricket with senior players. That is a great experience. Obviously, that is an advantage when you are playing against an Under-19 team. Nevertheless, any Under-19 system is a difficult area to work with because the continuation of the player pool is not there. At Under-19 level we get new players coming in every two years. It is not that you build a certain squad and you get an opportunity to work with them until they grow and mature into an international cricketer. Every two years you are turning the squad around and get fresh players coming into the squad. You are basically repeating a programme every two years
Asked what impact the Youth World Cup victory by Bangladesh Under-19 had on his coaching career he had this to say. “The Youth World Cup win had a massive impact on me personally. The first thing for me was the reality that the programme that I put across for the two-year period had worked really well and the players have responded well to the programme which was satisfying. The programme had been running for two years. It was not only winning a World Cup (which was satisfying), but also for a team from Bangladesh to do really well in England as well as New Zealand. I think that was the main thing that paved the way for us to move on and win a World Cup in South Africa. It was a massive achievement for an Asian team. It is not like winning a World Cup in the subcontinent. Our players played really well, batted and bowled exceptionally well competing against the best cricketing systems in the world on fast bouncy wickets in South Africa. The World Cup win had a massive impact on my reputation as a coach.”
In comparison to the Sri Lanka Under-19 team who commenced training recently, the Bangladesh Under-19 tram had spent a year together though their training had been inconsistent due to the Covid 19 pandemic. “We started training in October 2020. But training could not continue regularly. Some of our camps got disrupted due to lockdowns and Covid 19 outbreak and various issues due to the pandemic. There were various tours planned by the Bangladesh Cricket Board. But they got cancelled.
“Training got affected in a massive way. Almost three or four of our camps got disrupted due to the Covid 19 outbreak and lockdowns in Bangladesh. BCB had planned tours to Pakistan and England. Both got cancelled. They could not be rescheduled due to worldwide issues from travel issues to biosecurity issues. Like any other country. It was a big blow,” said Nawaz commenting on the impact the Covid 19 pandemic had on the team’s preparation for the Youth World Cup.
Sri Lanka will begin their three match T20I series against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Friday with an opportunity for several youngsters to stake their claims, although the absence of Pathum Nissanka leaves a sizeable hole at the top of the order.
Nissanka, Sri Lanka’s highest-ranked batter in the ICC T20I rankings, has been one of the side’s most consistent performers in recent years and his absence deprives the tourists of a proven match-winner against a Pakistan attack that will still carry plenty of firepower despite resting several senior players.
The three T20Is will be played in Rawalpindi on October 9, 11 and 13 before attention switches to the seven match ODI tri-series involving hosts Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England.
While Sri Lanka will miss Nissanka, his absence opens the door for highly rated Sineth Jayawardene, who has been earmarked as one for the future. The former Sri Lanka Under-19 captain now has an opportunity to show that he can make the considerable jump from domestic and age group cricket to the international stage. Sineth skippered Royal College, Colombo with distinction.
There will also be considerable interest in leg-spinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, another player Sri Lanka have invested in with an eye on the future. With Wanindu Hasaranga out of the equation, Viyaskanth has an opportunity to make a strong case for a regular berth rather than remain on the fringes.
Sri Lanka will be encouraged by the fact that Pakistan too have opted to look beyond some of their established names for the T20I leg of the tour.
Sahibzada Farhan will captain Pakistan after leading them at the recently concluded Asian Games in Japan, taking over from Salman Ali Agha, who has been left out of the T20I squad. Salman remains part of Pakistan’s ODI plans.
Pakistan have also rested Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi for the T20Is, although both return for the ODI tri-series, where Shaheen will continue as captain.
The hosts have named uncapped all-rounders Razaullah and Mohammad Imran Randhawa in their 15-member T20I squad, while Maaz Sadaqat and Hasan Nawaz have been rewarded for impressive performances at the Asian Games.
Hasan finished the tournament as Pakistan’s leading run scorer with 123 runs, including a blistering 96 off 51 balls against India in the final, although Pakistan had to settle for silver.
Fast bowler Naseem Shah returns to Pakistan’s T20I squad having last played the format against Sri Lanka in February, while Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub and Abrar Ahmed provide experience.
For Sri Lanka, while Nissanka’s runs will be sorely missed his absence means someone else has the chance to put his hand up. Sri Lanka will hope one or two of their young guns grab that opportunity with both hands.
The ODI tri-series will follow the T20Is, with the first three matches being played in Rawalpindi before the tournament moves to Lahore for the remaining league games and the final.
Pakistan have retained a more experienced core for the 50-over competition, with Babar, Salman, Haris Rauf and Faheem Ashraf among those included.
Former Pakistan Under-19 captain Saad Baig has earned his maiden ODI call-up after scoring more than 1,000 runs in the 2025-26 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, while left-arm wrist-spinner Sufiyan Moqim is another notable inclusion.
Pakistan have also strengthened their backroom staff, bringing back former Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait as bowling consultant. Tait previously served as Pakistan’s bowling coach in 2022-23 and replaces Ashley Noffke, who left after the Asian Games to take over as Netherlands head coach.
ATF Under-16 Colombo Week 1 Tennis
Sri Lanka’s junior players delivered a series of impressive performances on Wednesday, with the girls claiming all four semi-final places at the ATF Under-16 Colombo 2026 Week 1 tournament, held at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association courts.
Damsath Peiris
Methuli Naotunne led the charge with a notable quarter-final win over India’s Yashmitha Santhosh, recovering from a set loss to prevail 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. Kiara Jayamanne also came from behind to beat India’s Ahnavi Shaw 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.
Risindi
Hewawasam
In an all-Sri Lankan quarter-final, Risindi Hewawasam overcame Desandi Peiris 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, while Disini Samaraweera defeated Sayli Basnayake 3-6, 6-2, 6-0.
The Sri Lankan boys also impressed. Damsath Peiris beat Buvindu Jayawardhana 8-2, 7-6, and Yonal Dankumbura battled to a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Jayan Sebastian.
The visiting players, however, proved tough to beat. The Philippines’ Anthony Castigador defeated Sri Lanka’s Dehan Wickramasinghe 6-2, 6-4, and India’s Gurshaan Chahal fought back to overcome Udeera Gunasinghe 2-6, 7-5, 7-5.
(RF)
Mosvold Sixes 2026 concluded on Sunday at the Colombo Malay Cricket Club with Travel Trends Leisure crowned champions after a closely fought final against last year’s winners, Connaissance De Ceylan Sri Lanka, who finished as runners-up. Transco Travels were second runners-up.
Twenty three destination management companies took part in the six-a-side softball cricket tournament, organised by Mosvold Sri Lanka.
The Mosvold Martinus Challenge Trophy 2026 was presented to the champions by Nilanka Martinus, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Mosvold Boutique Hotels. Chief Guest Farveez Maharoof, the former Sri Lanka all-rounder, presented the runners-up award to Connaissance De Ceylan Sri Lanka.
This year’s twenty three competing DMCs were Tangerine Tours, Sri Lanka Tailormade, Olanka Travels, Antiquity Sri Lanka, Travel Trends Leisure, House of Travels & Tourism, NKAR Travels & Tours, Jetwing Travels, Walkers Tours, Connaissance De Ceylan Sri Lanka, Delux Holidays, Ceylon Roots, Spiceland Holidays, Infinity Vacations, Tropiculture, Serene Travels, Authenticities, Red Apple Travel & Holidays Lanka, DTH Travel Lanka, Hayleys Travels, We stay Ceylon, Transco Travels and Ceylon Tours.
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