KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC- A cricket selector in Jamaica, Wayne Lewis, says his country stands a good chance of retaining the Regional Under 19 tournament which bowls off in Guyana on Sunday.
Lewis, a member of the national selection panel, made his prediction as Jamaica prepares to defend their title from July 20th to August 16th.
Jamaica brushed aside all rivals to win both the three-day and limited-overs competitions in St.Kitts last season.
“We have selected an exciting 14-man squad laced with a number of all-rounders — guys who can bat and bowl well. We have a left-arm spinner, a leg-spin bowler, three off-spinners and we have two excellent tall fast bowlers in the team,” Lewis told the Jamaica Observer.
“We have retained the captain Ramaal Lewis and we have an exciting player in Abhijai Mansingh, who has scored two centuries so far in the trial matches, and he bowls leg-spin as well.”
The format of the tournament has changed this year allowing for more limited-overs cricket, but fewer matches in the three-day edition. Seven 50-over matches will be accompanied by only a pair of three-day contests.
“It’s not the two full competitions like recent seasons. It’s only two three-day games, and seven one-day games so that influenced the way we selected the team,” said Lewis, a former national top-order batsman.
“We have some excellent players in terms of level of commitment and the talent pool, and most of the batsmen can bowl. We have a nucleus that can win the tournament once more.”
A panel chaired by former West Indies fast bowler Courtney Walsh selected the players.
The Jamaica 14-member squad, currently in final preparations, is expected to depart the island tomorrow.
Squad — Ramaal Lewis (captain), Abhijai Mansingh, Leroy Lugg, Odain McCatty, Nicholas Walters, Mark Parchment, Ramone Francis, Romaine Morris (wicketkeeper), Oshane Thomas, Odean Smith, Malcolm Whyte, Ryon Burnett, George Walker, Shahid Crooks.
