NZ U-19 withdraws from 2022 WC due to extensive quarantine rules
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|| CF DESK ||
New Zealand U-19 team have withdrawn from the 2022 men's Under-19 World Cup, owing to extensive mandatory quarantine restrictions for minors on their return home.
The New Zealand U-19 cricket team was placed in Group D, which consists of other teams like West Indies, Australia, and Sri Lanka.
Scotland, who initially missed qualification in the Europe qualifiers got the ticket to participate in the event as the 16th team in New Zealand's absence.
NZC head of communications Richard Boock said it was a disappointing decision for everyone especially the players.
“Some of these guys in the under-19 setups can be as young as 16. We didn’t think it was appropriate to force young people to undergo MIQ,” Boock said.
It will be the first time in the tournament’s 14th edition history that New Zealand has not competed.
New Zealand was knocked out in the semifinals by eventual world cup winners Bangladesh at the 2020 tournament in South Africa that was completed just before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Under-19 World Cup 2022 will be held in the West Indies between January 14 and February 5. The 14th edition of the 50-over tournament will feature 16 teams divided into four groups. The matches will be played across 10 venues in Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana, St Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Bangladesh are the current defending champions, having beaten India in a low-scoring thriller in the final of the 2020 edition of the U19 World Cup. They will up against England, Canada and the United Arab Emirates in Group A. India, Ireland South Africa and Uganda make up Group B. And Afghanistan, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea and Zimbabwe are in Group C.
