ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – West Indies Academy head coach Andre Coley sees the upcoming CG United Super 50 as an opportunity for his young squad to mature and learn.
Saying that all has been going according to plan so far, he added that he expects a good showing from his side in the eight-team tournament.
West Indies Academy will feature in the opening contest against Leeward Islands Hurricanes at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Saturday.
“The mood is very positive as the players are looking forward to playing against the three franchise squads in our group. This will be valuable competitive cricket for the squad since most have not been in competitive cricket consistently over the last 24 months,” Coley said during the pre-tournament camp at Coolidge Cricket Ground here.
“What we want is to see our players buying into a winning mindset while working together as a team to achieve goals for each match, working together as a team. We also want to see them demonstrate resilience by adapting to various pitch and game conditions as they use their skill sets to achieve team goals.”
Coley spoke about his young team’s preparation which began with a pre-camp physical screening, followed by three consecutive days of cricket-specific training and gameplay discussions.
“We had our first of two practice matches against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes which gave us valuable competitive cricket as a squad,” he added.
“The focus for this week is getting through two practice matches against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes, planning and managing player loads as we head into the tournament. The players have adapted well, the facility at Coolidge has been our base since the first camp in July of this year, so they are familiar with the environment.”
This year’s event will feature six franchises, West Indies Academy and Combined Campuses & Colleges.
The teams have been drawn in two groups of four and will play matches at four venues – Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua; along with Brian Lara Cricket Academy and Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad.