Melius leads Under-19s in West Indies Emerging Players squad

Four West Indies under-19 players, including captain Kimani Melius, will get a strong tune-up for the ICC under-19 Cricket World Cup 2020, after having been selected for the West Indies Emerging Players squad for the Colonial Medical Insurance Super50 Cup. Saint Lucian opener Melius, along with left-handed wicketkeeper/batsman Leonardo Julian from Trinidad and Tobago, Guyanese left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd and T&T pacer Jayden Seales, will be part of the squad which will be led by Yannic Cariah and guided by former interim West Indies head coach Floyd Reifer.

“Yannic Cariah is recommended as Captain because his experience better positions him to lead and help guide this young team,” said Chairman of the West Indies Senior Men’s Selection Panel, Roger Harper. “Kimani Melius is recommended as Vice-Captain for succession planning purposes. He is the West Indies U-19 captain and the intention for the exposure is to give him a greater opportunity for learning and growth.” The Emerging Players squad has been introduced into the Super50 Cup by Cricket West Indies to facilitate further development and learning opportunities for players that have featured in the CWI High Performance Pathway in recent times.

 “A young player may miss out on selection at their franchise if they are up against two or three internationals with similar skill-sets,” said CWI director of cricket, Jimmy Adams. “The Emerging Players squad aims to provide the platform for these players to perform, and reward the hard work they have been putting in following their stints at the West Indies High Performance Centre.”

The West Indies Emerging Players squad has been pooled with last year’s losing finalists, Guyana Jaguars, as well as hosts and 11-time champions Trinidad & Tobago Red Force, recent winners Windward Islands Volcanoes, and the United States for Group B matches, which will be played at the Queen’s Park Oval and Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad. Reifer said his main goal will be to ensure the players in the squad show improvement in their understanding of the game, as individuals and as a single unit. 

“The main goal would be seeing development of the players, seeing steady improvement as we make our way through the tournament,” he said. “Improvement in fitness standards; improvement in attitudes toward the game; improvement in the understanding of the game. This is a squad of emerging talent, so it’s about bringing the players closer towards selection for their franchise, West Indies A and West Indies senior teams.”

Fans will be able to follow the West Indies Emerging Players with three of their Group B games broadcast “live” on ESPN Caribbean, and their other group games webcast “live” on www.windiescricket.com and the WindiesCricket YouTube channel, once the group matches start on November 7 in Trinidad.

Squad: Yannic Cariah (Captain), Kimani Melius (Vice-Captain), Camarie Boyce, Roland Cato, Joshua Da Silva, Dominic Drakes, Justin Greaves, Keon Harding, Leonardo Julian, Jermaine Levy, Ashmead Nedd, Gidron Pope, Jayden Seales, Kevin Sinclair.

Team Management Unit: Floyd Reifer (Head Coach), Kenny Benjamin (Assistant Coach), Dr Oba Gulston (Physiotherapist), Gregory Seale (Strength & Conditioning Co-ordinator),Dinesh Mahabir (Analyst).