Barbados’ Under-19 cricket title quest starts today

ST JOHN’S – Barbados Pride will take on the Red Force of Trinidad and Tobago when the West Indies “Rising Stars” Under-19 Championship bowls off in St Vincent this morning.

In the opening round of One-Day matches, Windward Island will be against defending champions Guyana, Leeward Islands face Jamaica and Barbados will play Trinidad and Tobago at Park Hill.

The Championship culminates on the August 7th with the final round, followed by an additional three “Best vs The Best” matches to identify the leading Under-19 talent as the regional body looks towards preparing and selecting a team for the January 2020 World Cup in South Africa

“The value of our Under-19 tournament cannot be overstated given its position within the development pathway. Most, if not all, of our international players going back 20 to 30 years were identified in this tournament and it continues to be a critical phase of our Talent ID programme,” said Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams.

High Performance Director Graeme West said there was no team from ICC Americas this year.

“Some of these guys it could be their last year in youth cricket before they make the step up to senior and professional cricket, while for others who were involved in Under-17, it’s a great opportunity to test themselves against older players.

“From my perspective we have had 18 players in set up for the last year that we have invested in through camps, so I’m looking forward to seeing their progress along with new players that can emerge from the pack for Under 19 World Cup consideration.

“We are looking to pick 24 players at the end of tournament which will stay on for three additional games, which we will look to narrow down for activities later in the year,” he added. (PR/SAT)