Bhaskar Yadram, Raymond Perez, Ashmead Nedd, Ronaldo Alimohamed and Joshua Persaud departed Guyana on Wednesday morning for Barbados where they will join the rest of the Windies under-19s for the journey to New Zealand where they play the 2018 ICC Youth 50-over World Cup.
They are expected to leave Barbados today (Thursday) to have a camp in the host country as they beef up preparations for their title defence.
Yadram and Persaud both would have been on tour with the squad since they began their preparations earlier this year. The dashing Yadram is one of the most senior figures in the squad given his First-Class exposure and is expected to be the engine room of the top-order.
Given captain Emanuel Stewart is a wicketkeeper, the talented Persaud may not have the glove job but has the ability to deliver with his eye-catching stroke-play.
The late entrants to the squad, which would have come on the heels of their splendid performances in the Cricket West Indies (CWI) under-19 tournaments this year are also expected to play key roles.
Based on the recipe for success at the 2016 edition, where head coach Graeme West made full use of all-rounders Keemo Paul and Shemar Springer, the cunning medium-pace and power hitting of Alimohamed could be the side’s ‘x-factor’ in conditions where seam bowling should be dominant.
Likewise, Nedd’s previous knowledge of the conditions, since he played in January 2015 for Trinidad and Tobago’s Tony Hartford U-17 Academy, will be useful. Albeit just aged 16, the left-arm spinner is an immense revelation for a cricketer his age.
His best known attributes are being able to starve batsmen for runs at the business end of an innings and at a same time is still a genuine wicket-taking option.
The hopeful stardom at the top comes in form of shot-filled Perez. Simply but yet attractive is usually the modus operandi for the opening batsman when at the crease and though he previously told this publication he is not under any pressure to live up to expectations, much will still be expected.
He was the Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the regional under-19 tournament held in St Kitts in 2017 where he complied 348 runs from six innings finishing unbeaten on three occasions finishing with a staggering average of 116 runs per innings.
The defending champions are installed in Group of A and will play their first match against hosts, New Zealand on January 13 followed by a clash with South Africa four days later then their final group match is against Kenya on January 20.
Full Squad: Emmanuel Stewart – Captain (Windward Islands- Grenada), Kirstan Kallicharan – Vice Captain (Trinidad & Tobago), Ronaldo Alimohamed- (Guyana), Alick Athanaze- (Windward Islands- Dominica), Cephas Cooper- (Trinidad & Tobago), Jarion Hoyte- (Barbados), Kimani Melius- (Windward Islands- St. Lucia), Ashmead Nedd- (Guyana), Kian Pemberton- (Leeward Islands- St. Kitts & Nevis), Raymond Perez- (Guyana), Joshua Persaud- (Guyana), Jeavor Royal- (Jamaica), Keagan Simmons- (Trinidad & Tobago), Bhaskar Yadram- (Guyana) and Nyeem Young- (Barbados).
Management Team: Graeme West- (Head Coach), Dwain Gill- (Team Operations Manager), Corey Collymore- (Assistant Coach), Khevyn Williams- (Physiotherapist), Zephyrinus Nicholas- (Strength & Conditioning Coach) and Dinesh Mahabir- (Analyst). (Akeem Greene)
