ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Despite never having played Down Under, head coach Roddy Estwick says he has high hopes for the West Indies side at next month’s International Cricket Council’s Under-19 World Cup in Australia.
Pointing to their preparation and the fact they had been together for a while, Estwick said he expected the side to perform well in what would be a “tough tour of duty”.
“We have a very good group of young men and I’m very confident that they will do well for the West Indies in this tournament. The team has been together for more than a year now and they work well together,” Estwick said.
“We did well in the tour of Dubai last year [against Australia], battled hard in India and were dominant when we played in the United States. We had a very good camp in Barbados over Easter at the Sagicor HPC and everyone has come back refreshed and ready for the big assignment in Australia.”
West Indies are set to leave Barbados next Tuesday for a camp in Australia which will help to fine-tune preparations for the tournament which runs from August 12-26 across the cities of Townsville, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast in Queensland state.
The Caribbean side will play in Group C alongside defending champions India, Zimbabwe and Papua New Guinea in the 16-team biennial event.
Estwick said the early arrival in Australia will help the team acclimatise to conditions there.
“So far our preparations have been spot on and I’m happy with the level of development among the players. We will be flying out (to Australia) early to have another camp where we will get the opportunity to get into the nets again and have some games against local opposition,” Estwick explained.
“This is a very good move as we will make maximum use of the time we have in Brisbane before the World Cup starts. As a team we have never played in Australia before, so it’s crucial that we make the most use of the time in the camp.
“A crucial part of winning is preparation and we are going to Australia to win, so we must be well prepared.”
The side will be led by Test opener Kraigg Brathwaite and included flashy Jamaican left-hander John Campbell who will serve as vice-captain
Both openers will be expected to five West Indies sound starts, with a strong middle order in left-handers Anthony Alleyne and Akeal Hosein and stylish right-hander Kavem Hodge, to come.
The bowling attack will revolve around three specialist quick bowlers — Marquino Mindley, left-armer Jerome Jones, and Ronsford Beaton, a six-footer who has already played eight first class games for Guyana.
Fast bowling all-rounders — the hard-hitting Kyle Mayers and the hardworking Justin Greaves – have also been included.
“We have an experienced batting line-up, a number of players who have done well at the regional Under-19 level. Kraigg has played Test cricket with some success and John is also a good player. They opened together in the last World Cup two years ago, so they will be able to share their knowledge with the others in the team,” Estwick pointed out.
“I’m really excited by our pace bowling department, we have a good crop. Beaton had a good Regional Four-day Tournament for Guyana and Jones bowled really well for Barbados in the recent Under-17 Tournament.
“Mindley swings the ball both ways and forced his way into the squad with his brilliant bowling in the camp. We also have Greaves and Mayers, who bowl well and can also provide valuable runs in the middle-order.”
