India group with West Indies in ICC Under-19 World Cup

Former champion India has been group with West Indies, Zimbabwe and Papua New Guinea for the beginning stage of the ICC Under-19 World Cup to be detained next year in Australia.

The event will get ongoing in Queensland exactly one year from now and Scotland will be there as the leading connect team after winning eight of its nine matches during the qualifiers held in Dublin and Derry.

Defensive champion and host Australia will head Group A having been drawn next to 1998 winner England, Nepal and Ireland, the ICC said in a statement.

Group B is complete up of last event's runner-up and two-time winner Pakistan, New Zealand, Scotland and Afghanistan while 2000 and 2008 champion India has been strained in Group C along with the West Indies, Zimbabwe and PNG.

Sri Lanka, South Africa, Bangladesh and Namibia make up Group D.

ICC chief decision-making Haroon Lorgat said: "The ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup is a very significant event for us and I want to congratulate those six teams who have fit to take part in Queensland next year.

"This event has proved to be an important step stone for elite young cricketers aspiring to play international cricket. It's an opportunity for them to increase and test their skills in a high-pressure situation next to the world's best at this level," he added.

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'Visa issue require to be addressed'

RP Singh, who has been named as a substitute for Zaheer Khan, is yet to reach England due to a delay in obtain the visa and captain Dhoni is not amused.

Zaheer Khan is one of the three Indian players ruled out of the outstanding England tour due to a right hamstring and ankle wound. The other two are Harbhajan Singh (abdominal strain) and Yuvraj Singh (finger fracture).

India skipper MS Dhoni, though, recommended a quick-fix so that similar delays due to visa don't happen again in future.

"If we can organize visas for all 30 contracted cricketers for all the major nations (where India normally tour), this problem could have been avoid. That would mean anyone could fly in as a substitute or alternate at any given time," Dhoni told a leading daily.

The BCCI, in spite of having full a reserve list to the British High Commission, couldn't organize a visa for Singh, which adds to the agony of the Indian team that is having a horror time in England, down 0-2 in the four-match Test series.

Singh is predictable to arrive in England later on Thursday.

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India rule AIS in Emerging meet

Former India U-19 captain, Ashok Menaria, shattered a victorious 94 against AIS in the final three-day match of the Emerging Players Tournament.

He additional 174 runs for the unbeatable second-wicket stand with in-from Ajinkya Rahane as India reached 191 for one at stumps against the Australian Institute of Sports, after dismiss them for 205 in the

Having previously logged nine points from two matches, the Indians will be aiming to finish with another complete win.

Menaria, who had the difference of scoring three back-to-back tons in Ranji Trophy for Rajasthan (quarters, semis and final), blasted 94 with the help of 12 boundaries and four huge sixes. In fact, he was severe on left-arm spinner Michael Beer (0/49 in 6 overs) who had played in an Ashes Test last summer.

He was well supported by Rahane (71 batting), who hit 11 boundaries and looks good for one more three-figure mark. The Indians are now 15 shy of taking the first-innings lead.

Earlier, AIS lost their last eight wickets for 50 runs after Nic Maddinson (82) and Sam Whiteman (53) added 107 runs for the second wicket.

Electing to field, India's fastest new ball bowler Varun Aaron grab four for 40 to cause maximum injure in company of left-arm seamer Jaidev Unadkat (3/47) as the duo snare seven wickets between them to allow to go AIS for 205 in 64.4 overs.

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Zimbawe choose to bowl in series opener

Brian Vitori will make his ODI first appearance after claim five wickets in Zimbabwe's reappear Test match next to Bangladesh. The left-arm seamier will get an opportunity to make an immediate impression, as Zimbabwe have put Bangladesh in to bat on a clear, sunny day in Harare.

With conditions expected to favour the spinners, Vitori's new-ball partner Kyle Jarvis will have to watch from the sidelines. Prosper Utseya has been brought in to partner Ray Price in the tweaking department. Middle-order batsman Forster Mutizwa has also been included in the starting XI.

Bangladesh has also beefed up their spin contingent and is fielding three left-arm spinners in Shakib Al Hasan, Abdur Razzak and Suhrawardi Shuvo. The young offspinner, Nasir Hossain, will have to wait a little longer to make his debut. The tried and trusted opening combinations of Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes have been retaining so Junaid Siddique doesn't get a chance in the series opener.

Zimbabwe have not played an ODI since their success over Kenya in the World Cup in March, while Bangladesh last take to the field in a 3-nil series beat to Australia in April at home.

Zimbabwe: Brendan Taylor (capt), Vusi Sibanda, Hamilton Masakadza, Tatenda Taibu (wk), Craig Ervine, Forster Mutizwa, Elton Chigumbura, Prosper Utseya, Ray Price, Brian Vitori, Chris Mpofu.

Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Shahriah Nafees, Mohammad Ashraful, Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahumudullah, Suhrawadi Shuvo, Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam, Rubel Hossain.

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