Luc Benkenstein will captain the England Men Under-19s during their three game Youth ODI series against Sri Lanka.

The Essex all-rounder, who captained for one game during last summer’s Youth ODI Series against Australia, is set to lead the team in front of his home fans at the Cloud County Ground in Chelmsford, where the opening game is to be played under lights on Friday 28 June.

The 16-man squad includes nine players who were a part of the winter’s ICC Men’s U19 World Cup in South Africa.

Ben McKinney, who was captain at the World Cup, and Hamza Shaikh have not been considered with the option for them to appear in the three-day First-Class County Select XI match against West Indies in early July. The squad for the two-match Youth Test series is to be announced later this month.

England Men Under-19s coach, Mike Yardy, said: “We have selected an exciting squad for the series, with a blend of some players who are currently playing in the Vitality Blast and some younger players for whom it will be their first time in an Under-19s squad.

“As always, it’s a great opportunity for the players to perform in an Eng-land Under-19 shirt and to experience international cricket.”

Benkenstein’s Essex’s team-mates Charlie Allison and Noah Thain have also been included in the squad along with Andrew Flintoff’s son Rocky.

The 16-year-old made his second XI debut for Lancashire at the start of April and hit a maiden century in his third match, smashing 116 from 165 balls against Warwickshire.

The teenager also put in another eye-catching display after scoring a half-century against Durham in his second game for the team and will be aiming to follow in the footsteps of his father, the former England captain and 2005 Ashes hero, who is currently part of England’s backroom team at the T20 World Cup.