ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – Emmanuel Stewart will have five new caps to lead when the West Indies Under-19 squad embark on a tour of southern Africa in July.
The West Indies Cricket Board yesterday announced a 15-member squad that will take on South Africa in five Youth One-day Internationals and Zimbabwe in three.
“The squad is well balanced with a number of multi-dimensional players which will provide depth in all departments,” said head coach Graeme West.
“This team is still very young in comparison with the previous squad, but it’s already a very united group that works well together and has a great desire to learn and improve.”
Stewart and vice-captain Kirstan Kallicharran are the only two remaining members from the World Cup-winning squad of last year.
The new players are: Trinidad & Tobago left-handed batsman and part-time off-spinner Keegan Simmons, nephew of former West Indies batsman and head coach Phil Simmons and cousin of West Indies batsman Lendl Simmons; Guyanese wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua Persaud, along with pacer Cephas Cooper of Trinidad & Tobago, Darren Nedd from Grenada, and Barbadian Nyeem Young.
The remaining eight players were part of the team that played in the Regional Super50 Tournament in January/February in Antigua, including Bhaskar Yadram.
The slow bowling all-rounder from Guyana is the only player in the squad that has moved on to make his first-class debut, playing for reigning three-time Regional 4-Day champions Guyana Jaguars against Leeward Islands Hurricanes last April.
The WICB said in a media release that the tours were being undertaken as part of the team’s build-up to the ICC Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand from January 12 to February 4 next year.
“We are going to give 15 talented, young players the opportunity to represent West Indies, experience touring overseas and to play Youth Internationals,” said West.
“We learnt a great deal about a number of the players in the WICB Regional Super50. This will be another opportunity to find out which players have the skill-sets to perform consistently at this level and establish who will stand up when put under pressure by quality opponents.”
West said the objectives for the tour is to win both series and establish the patterns of play and combinations that will be taken into the World Cup.
“We will want to see growth and improvement in every game we play and we will want contributions from all members of the squad, so it will be important that the team acclimatise quickly and get off to a good start,” he said.
Squad:
Emmanuel Stewart (captain), Kirstan Kallicharran (vice-captain), Te-Shawn Alleyne, Alick Athanaze, Joshua Bishop, Cephas Cooper, Mykile Louis, Darren Nedd, Matthew Patrick, Joshua Persaud, Jeavor Royal, Kegan Simmons, Jeavier Spencer, Bhaskar Yadram, Nyeem Young

ITINERARY
West Indies Under-19s to South Africa
JULY
Tuesday 4 – Tour Match vs South Africa Under-19 XI – Varsity Oval, Durban.
Thursday 6 – Tour Match vs Kwa-Zulu Natal Academy – Varsity Oval.
Sunday 9 – First Youth ODI – Chatsworth Oval, Durban.
Wedbesday 12 – Second Youth ODI – Pietermaritzburg Oval, Pietermaritzburg.
Friday 14 – Third Youth ODI – Pietermaritzburg Oval.
Sunday 16 – Fourth Youth ODI – Pietermaritzburg Oval.
Wednesday 19 – Fifth Youth ODI – Chatsworth Oval.
West Indies Under-19s to Zimbabwe
JULY
Sunday 23 – First Youth ODI – Venue to be decided.
Wednesday 26 – Second Youth ODI – Venue to be decided.
Saturday 29 – Third Youth ODI – Venue to be decided.