Afghanistan Future Stars U19 team have clinched the Youth Tri-Nations Series after beating Pakistan U19 by 21 runs in the final in the UAE on Tuesday.

Going into the match early Tuesday, Afghanistan U19 opted to bat first in the hope of seeing half-centuries from Barakatullah Ibrahimzai (79) and Nazifullah Amiri (56).

Healthy contributions were also posted from Faisal Khan (41).

In reply, the Afghanistan U19s backed their batting effort with an even better bowling effort, as they bundled out the Pakistan U19s for 229 runs to win the final by 21 runs and secure the title.

Nasratullah Nooristani (2/36), Naseer Khan Maroof Khil (2/38), Uzairullah Niazi (1/26), Abdul Aziz Khan (1/35), Khatir Khan Stanikzai (1/44) and AM Ghazanfar (1/50) all picked up important wickets and contributed to the series win.

The Youth Tri-Nation Series kicked Off on November 13 in Dubai which featured the hosts UAE U19s alongside Afghanistan and Pakistan junior teams.

Afghanistan played five games, including the final, and won four.

Afghanistan Future Stars, alongside the two other participating teams, will now head to the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2024, where the Afghanistan U19 team is pooled in Group A alongside Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal U19s.

The team will commence their campaign in the event on Friday, November 29 against the Bangladesh U19 team.

Afghanistan Under-19 cricket team will face Pakistan in the final of the tri-series on Tuesday at the ICC Cricket Academy Ground in Dubai.

Both teams have been in fine form throughout the seven-match series, each securing three wins from four matches.

Hosts UAE, however, failed to register a single victory.

Pakistan defeated Afghanistan by 13 runs on November 20 but Afghanistan recorded a dominant 100-run win on November 15.

The ICC Men’s Champions Trophy cup will arrive in Afghanistan on Tuesday as part of the Global Trophy Tour, Afghanistan’s Cricket Board (ACB) said Monday.

Last week, the ICC confirmed the start of their Global Trophy Tour for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy cup.

The trophy’s tour kicked off in Islamabad on November 16 and ended Monday.

The trophy will now move on to Afghanistan, and will tour the country for three days.

Next month, the trophy will tour Bangladesh, followed by South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, England, and India in that order before returning to Pakistan for the start of the ODI tournament on January 27.

According to the ICC, the international Trophy Tour for the silverware will provide special engagement for global fans through dynamic, colourful engagements that speak to the event's new-look visual identity.

Anurag Dahiya, ICC Chief Commercial Officer, expressed his pleasure at the launch of the event last week.

“We are delighted to launch the Trophy Tour with DP World ahead of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, where another action-packed programme of activity is available to fans across the world.”

He went on to describe the experience that awaited fans.

“The silverware, which will be showcased across all participating nations, will allow the sport’s passionate fanbase to enjoy the unforgettable experience of being up close with the iconic trophy,” Dahiya said.

Originally known as the ICC Knockout when it was staged in 1998 in Dhaka, Bangladesh and in 2000 in Nairobi, Kenya.

The event was then renamed the ICC Champions Trophy in 2002 and was held every two years until 2009.

Subsequently the event moved to a four year cycle and features the top eight teams in the ICC one-day rankings.

The first round comprises two groups of four with the top two in each group progressing to the semi-finals and the winners contesting the final.

The event is short, sharp and highly competitive.

The tournament, scheduled to start late January, is supposed to take place in Pakistan but due to India’s refusal to play in their neighboring country, the ICC is scheduled to convene a meeting of its executive board on Tuesday to find a solution.