Trinidad and Tobago Red Force opener Keagan Simmons, along with former U-19 national and regional players Joshua James and wicketkeeper Leonardo Julien, have been selected by Cricket West Indies (CWI) for high performance training as part of initial players for the Academy of developing players.
The group kicked off at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) in Antigua yesterday, with CWI Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams welcoming them and noting that the Developing Players Academy was a way to bridge the gap between youth and team cricket of the elderly.
Several recent additions to the West Indies Under-19 Rising Stars program have been made, including Teddy Bishop and Kevin Wickham, who both made centuries for the West Indies during the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup played in the West Indies earlier this year. .
Others who would have graduated from the West Indies Rising Stars U-19 team to the regional franchise teams include Simmons, Kirk McKenzie and former captain Ackeem Auguste, along with left-arm spinners Ashmead Nedd and Joshua Bishop and bowler left-arm quick Ramon Simmonds. .
Also selected in the academy squad is all-rounder Nyeem Young, who was at the men’s white-ball training camp in the West Indies in April.
“They are a talented group of players who we are sure will enjoy the benefits of their hard work. CWI has been looking for ways to bridge that critical gap between our junior and professional level, and this academy initiative provides us with a great start toward achieving that,” said Adams.
“It will also play an important role in regional capacity building within the support of high performance players – technical, physical, mental and personal development,” he added.
The plan for a CWI Development Player Academy was first announced in March and is intended to act as a link between regional youth and senior teams, supporting the development of talented players between the ages of 19 and 25.
The first development camp has several objectives and the main focus during the initial period will be to ensure talent management; personal development of players, especially creating a terrain for in-game leaders; acceleration of development, reinforcement of the importance of knowledge on physical components; as well as increasing players’ readiness for the international stage, with a focus on specific skill sets identified by the head coach of the senior team.
The CWI selection panel met and recommended players based on a formula which included consultation with each of the six territorial boards.
T&T’s Kirstan Kallicharan and Shaaron Lewis were among six reserves selected as cover players who could be selected for their franchises for the regional competitions.
FULL squad
Kevlon Anderson, Keagan Simmons, Kirk McKenzie, Kevin Wickham, Ackeem Auguste, Ramon Simmonds, McKenny Clarke, Johann Layne, Kelvin Pitman, Ashmead Nedd, Joshua Bishop, Nyeem Young, Joshua James, Leonardo Julien.
Subs: Anderson Amurdan, Kimani Melius, Kirstan Kallicharan, Brad Barnes, Sharon Lewis, Camarie Boyce.
