ACT Comets player and Ginninderra Cricket Club Premier all-rounder Tom Hogan has been named in Australia’s Under 19 2026 World Cup squad for, marking a major milestone for both the talented youngster and Cricket ACT’s pathway system.
Hogan’s selection follows his involvement in Australia’s recent Under 19 multi-format series against India, and he will now represent his country on the global stage as the ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket World Cup returns to Africa, co-hosted by Namibia and Zimbabwe from January 15 to February 6, 2026.
Australia’s 15-player squad was announced on Thursday morning and closely resembles the group that toured India earlier this year, gaining valuable experience despite going winless across three Youth ODIs and two Youth Tests.
Australia Under 19 World Cup Squad
Oliver Peake (c)
Kasey Barton
Naden Cooray
Jayden Draper
Ben Gordon
Steven Hogan
Thomas Hogan
John James
Charles Lachmund
Alex Lee-Young
Will Malajczuk
Nitesh Samuel
Hayden Schiller
Aryan Sharma
William Taylor
The squad will be coached by former Australian International Tim Nielsen, assisted by Luke Butterworth and Travis Dean, and will look to build on the legacy of the 2024 Under 19 group which has already produced Test cricketer Sam Konstas alongside several emerging domestic stars.
For Hogan, the news was one he will never forget.
“I was told by Jono the morning after the last game (of the U19 National Championships in Perth), which was really exciting,” Hogan said.
“Then I heard from Tim, our head coach, which was super cool. When you go away, you’re never sure if you’ll get another opportunity, so to be going to a World Cup is pretty special.”
The 18-year-old said he focused on controlling what he could throughout the selection process.
“Obviously it’s in the back of your mind, but I was trying not to think about it too much. There are a lot of good players in Australia, and these teams are hard to make even with good performances, so I just tried to control what I could.”
Hogan becomes the fifth ACT player to be selected in an Australian Under 19s World Cup squad with Jason Floros being the last, 15 years ago.
“It means a lot. Cricket ACT has given me so many opportunities. I’m going to try and put my best foot forward for Australia because there are a lot of people here who have put a lot of time into me and helped develop me as a cricketer” Hogan expressed.
Having already tasted international cricket in Brisbane earlier this year, Hogan is relishing the chance to do it again on a bigger stage.
“Playing for Australia is amazing. When I was in Brisbane I didn’t want to go home, I loved every minute of it. To do it again at a World Cup with a lot of the same guys, plus some new faces, is going to be really exciting.”
Cricket ACT Male Program Lead and Comets head-coach Jonathon Dean said Hogan’s selection was a reward for years of hard work and development.
“First and foremost, I was super excited for Tommy. He puts a lot of time and effort into his craft. His earlier opportunity with the Australian Under 19s didn’t go exactly how he wanted, but he took learnings from that and applied them, which makes this selection really special.”
Dean highlighted Hogan’s unique skillset as a left-arm orthodox bowler and composed batter.
“He makes really sound decisions under pressure and isn’t afraid to stick to his game. Left-arm orthodox is a skillset Australian cricket values, and Tom also understands his batting really well. That combination makes him very exciting,”
“What we’ve seen from under 17s to under 19s is huge development in his scoring ability, fielding and overall game awareness. That’s largely down to the effort Tom has put in himself” Dean told Cricket ACT.
With experience already gained at Second XI level and within the ACT Comets program, Dean believes Hogan is well placed to embrace the World Cup challenge.
“My advice to him is to soak it all up, be curious, and keep playing his way. He has a burning desire to achieve highly, and this experience will only add to that.”
As Hogan prepares to don the green and gold on the world stage, his selection stands as a proud moment for Cricket ACT and the broader Canberra cricket community, it is a powerful reminder of what is possible through strong pathways, opportunity, and hard work.
Go well Tom!