Two locals into the line-up
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has assembled a 20-man squad to begin training ahead of their defence of the Under-19 team’s title in 2018 slated for New Zealand.
According to a statement issued by the regional board, the selection panel of the WICB has named a 20-member squad to be encamped in Grenada from Friday, December 9 to Tuesday, December 20.
The squad comprises representatives from all six facets of the region - Leeward and Windward Islands, Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.
In the statement released early yesterday (Dec. 3), Project Officer Rawl Lewis was quoted as saying, “This initial camp is to prepare a team for the Regional Super 50 as was done the last two years and we will also have a pre-tournament camp for the final team, January 17 – 21.’
Included in the training squad are two representatives from the St. Kitts and Nevis. They are Jerellius Louis, the younger brother of the Leeward Islands Hurricane batsman Jeremiah Louis, and Nevisian Kian Pemberton.
The other selectees are: Trinidadians Keagan Simmonds, Kirstan Kallicharan, Cephas Cooper, Navin Bidaisee, Matthew Patrick and Te-Shawn Alleyne; Grenadians Johann Jeremiah and Emmanuel Stewart; St. Lucian Johnnel Eugene; Dominicans Daneal Dupigny and Alick Athanaze; Antiguan Javier Spence; Barbadian Nyeem Young, Joshua Bishop and Shian Brathwaite; Guyanese Joshua Persaud and Bhaskar Yadram; and Jamaican Jeavor Royal.
The Windies U-19 Team has been placed in Group A alongside Kent Spitfires, Leeward Islands Hurricanes, Trinidad & Tobago Red Force and the Windward Islands Volcanoes.
All of the team’s games will be played in Antigua in February.
Lewis further pointed out that “a comprehensive programme has been developed for the 2018 World Cup preparation which started with the regional Under 17 and 19 Tournaments over the summer. The 23-month programme will include a mini-series with New Zealand (three-match series) in January 2018, just before the World Cup”.
The West Indies Under-19 romped to victory earlier this year, winning their maiden title under the leadership of Shemron Hetmyer in Bangladesh.
That win was part of the West Indies treble of World Cup victories where they also took home the Men and Women’s T20 titles.
