ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, (CMC) – With the regional cricket season just a week away, Leeward Islands Hurricanes Head Coach Steve Liburd is setting his sights firmly on championship glory, declaring it’s “about time we get some hardware” for the passionate fans of the region.
Entering his second year at the helm, Liburd is building on a promising debut season that saw the franchise reach the semi-finals of the CG United Super50 Cup and the final of the CWI Breakout League. Now, with final preparations underway, the goal is not just improvement, but a trophy.
“We made it to the semifinals last year. We lost to Jamaica in this competition,” Liburd reflected.
“Hopefully, we’re looking to go two steps further, not just one step further. We’re looking to go two steps further, playing in the finals and then obviously winning the finals.”
The squad is coming together after a busy period, fine-tuning their skills for the challenge ahead.
“The guys would have been playing the Leeward Islands tournament last week,” Liburd explained. “We started doing fitness testing, and then we started our skill session. So the Leeward Islands have always been a talented team.”
He pointed to the blend of exciting youth and experienced campaigners like Jewel Andrew, Jahmar Hamilton, and West Indies star Alzarri Joseph as a key strength.
However, Liburd believes talent alone is not enough. “We have always had a talented team, it’s just for us now to get over the line and make the people of the Leeward Islands proud.”
Adding a significant boost to their camp is the presence of legendary West Indies fast bowler Sir Curtly Ambrose, who has been acting as a mentor.
Liburd confirmed that Ambrose’s vast expertise is already paying dividends for the bowling unit and the team as a whole.
The Hurricanes will have an immediate chance to test their mettle when they open their Super50 Cup campaign against arch-rivals the Windward Islands Volcanoes next Wednesday.