Archie Vaughan, son of former England captain Michael Vaughan, will lead England Under-19s on their upcoming tour of South Africa. The Young Lions will compete in three youth one-day internationals and two youth Tests against South Africa Under-19s, starting January 17.
This milestone comes 20 years after Vaughan senior famously led England to their first post-Apartheid Test series win in South Africa.
"I found out I was going to be captain during the training camp before Christmas, and it was a very special moment," said Vaughan, a promising top-order batter and offspinner. "Representing England at this level is a huge honor, and leading the team is even more special."
Vaughan has had a rapid rise in the past year. After signing his first professional contract with Somerset in May, he made his county debut in July and gained attention with his performance in September’s County Championship run-in. His standout display included match figures of 11 for 140 against Surrey, helping Somerset defeat the league leaders.
In his debut season, Vaughan played four first-class matches and seven 50-over games for Somerset, averaging 33.71 with the bat in the Championship. He also shone at the youth level, scoring 85 from 83 balls in a warm-up match for a Young Lions Invitational XI, while fellow squad member Rocky Flintoff—son of Andrew Flintoff—top-scored with 106 in the same game.
Reflecting on his progress, Vaughan said, "If someone had told me a year ago that I would be in Somerset’s first team and captaining the Under-19s, I wouldn’t have believed it. It’s happened quickly, but I’ll stay grounded and keep working harder."
Archie Vaughan follows in the footsteps of his father, who captained England in 51 Tests between 2003 and 2008, securing 26 victories, including the legendary 2005 Ashes series win.
England Under-19s squad: Archie Vaughan (Somerset, capt), Farhan Ahmed (Nottinghamshire), Tazeem Ali (Warwickshire), Ben Dawkins (Kent), Kesh Fonseka (Lancashire - Test squad only), Alex French (Surrey), Alex Green (Leicestershire), Jack Home (Worcestershire), James Isbell (Middlesex), Eddie Jack (Hampshire), Ben Mayes (Hampshire), James Minto (Durham), Harry Moore (Derbyshire), Joe Moores (Lancashire - ODIs only), Thomas Rew (Somerset), Aaryan Sawant (Middlesex), Naavya Sharma (Middlesex), Alexander Wade (Yorkshire).
Updated on 15th January, 2025 by MyFortune11 Team.