ICC Under19 Cricket World Cup Teams & Groups

Malaysia Team Profile

And while realistically they are unlikely to make it through to the Super League, a place in the Plate semi-finals would represent an excellent achievement for this emerging cricketing nation.

The fact that many of the leading teams competing at the tournament have wanted to have the experience of playing in Malaysian conditions has led to the inexperienced side being exposed against some of the world's leading young players.

This has provided the side with a comprehensive build up to the event, taking part in a series against England, Sri Lanka and India in January and February 2007 and playing Australia and Bangladesh later in the year.

In the home series against Australia in September 2007, Malaysia's flaws against top quality bowling were exposed as they crashed to two heavy defeats. They lost the first one by 183 runs, where Aminudin Ramly top scored with 36, while Ahmad Faiz's 60 was the only bright spot when Malaysia made 139 all out in a ten-wicket defeat in the second game.

The side has also benefitted from playing as a team unit in a domestic senior competition, which has exposed them to a number of different match day scenarios.

Leading batsman Ahmad Faiz, who will captain the side, believes he will face some tough challenges from the opposition, particularly as they have been drawn in a difficult group which also features Pakistan, Zimbabwe and New Zealand.

He said: "I believe the standard will be very high and as a batsman I am looking forward to playing a major role in every match. It will not be easy for any batsman and this is where the challenge will come against pace bowlers."

And having played many of the leading contenders for the competition in the past year, he has strong views on who are the teams to beat.

He said: "Pakistan, as the two-time champions, will certainly be the team to watch. However, we have played Australia, England, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the tri-series and friendly matches and they have a strong side too. I believe these teams will provide the glamour in the World Cup."

The side, whose vice-captain is Victoria Institution student Faris Rosmanizam, will finish preparations by taking on Australia and Papua New Guinea in friendly matches just before the start of the competition.

Were they to beat Pakistan on the opening day of the event in Johor, it would undoubtedly go down as the greatest shock in the history of the ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup.