These four teams topped their respective groups in the preliminary league with an all-win record, displaying all-round strengths good enough to take any one of them all the way to the title.
Sri Lanka and the West Indies, the other two Test nations in the last eight, will also fancy their chances even as qualifiers Namibia and Nepal look to make a mark against the bigger teams.
The knock-out round opens with a match between Bangladesh and Nepal, two of the five Asian sides in the fray, here tomorrow. The winner of this match will take on the winner of the other quarter-final between England and Sri Lanka, who go head to head here on Sunday. This semi-final too will be played here on February 9.
India will face Namibia in Fatullah on Saturday and Pakistan will play the West Indies on Monday at the same venue.
Bangladesh, the most experienced side in the tournament with five players taking part in their second under-19 World Cup, has not looked back after knocking out defending champion South Africa in the opening match on January 27.
Nepal, which last played in the U19 World Cup in 2012 and returned for this edition after winning the qualifying tournament in Malaysia, defeated New Zealand and Ireland to advance to the quarter-finals.