By Neto Baptiste
Antigua’s top order batsman, Tyrone Williams Jr., has been drafted by the Leeward Islands Hurricanes for the Colonial Medical Insurance Super50 Cup and the West Indies Championship.
In the 2020/2021 West Indies Professional Players Draft held via Zoom meeting on Monday, Williams Jr. was selected by Leeward Islands as a second round pick. The sub-regional squad had picked up Guyana’s Ashmead Nedd in the first round.
The 22-year-old Antiguan is the son of former national and Leeward Islands fast bowler, Tyrone “Pacer” Williams.
Monday’s draft meeting was monitored by CWI’s auditors KPMG to ensure that the process was carried out efficiently and smoothly.
Representatives of each franchise made two picks to bring their contracted squad of players to 15.
Guyana’s Nedd, a left-arm spinner, was one of the leading performers for the West Indies at the ICC Under-19 World Cup in South Africa earlier this year. He will help bolster the Hurricanes’ bowling stock and will bring the experience from the West Indies Emerging Players – winners of the Colonial Medical Insurance Super50 Cup last November.
Joining Nedd as a contracted player is his West Indies Under-19 captain Kimani Melius, who was picked up by the Windward Islands Volcanoes, and fast bowler Jayden Seales who was contracted by the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force.
Both Melius and Seales were acquired ahead of the draft as pre-selected players by the respective franchises.
Additionally, two experienced players have found new franchises.
Kyle Hope, who played five Test matches and seven One-Day Internationals in 2017, has moved from Trinidad and Tobago Red Force to Barbados Pride.
Kevin Stoute, a former captain of Barbados Pride who has played 76 first-class matches since his debut back in 2007, will have a new home with the Windward Islands Volcanoes.
CWI’s Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams, was happy that CWI was able to get the draft done despite the ongoing pandemic.
“I am pleased to have gotten the regional franchise draft completed,” he said.
“Franchises can now focus on implementing post-lockdown training to gradually build towards their full programs. Obviously, we are all hopeful that we will soon be given the all-clear by the respective governments to resume full franchise operations,” he said.
Leeward Islands Hurricane Squad: Jahmar Hamilton, Sheno Berridge, Jeremiah Louis, Amir Janjoo, Devon Thomas, Terrance Warde, Colin Archibald, Keacy Carty, Montcin Hodge, Quinton Boatswain, Ross Powell, Nino Henry, Kian Pemberton, Ashmead Nedd and Tyrone Williams Jr.