By Samuel Peters
The Leeward Islands Hurricanes will look to add more strength to their squad as they prepare for a highly anticipated clash against fellow unbeaten side Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in the West Indies Championship when the two meet on Wednesday at Warner Park in St Kitts. The development comes as both teams aim to maintain their perfect start to the 2025 season.
In a comprehensive interview with Observer media, Head Coach Steve Liburd revealed that West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph will be available to the team ahead of the clash. This development comes after three changes were made to the team in the previous match against the Jamaica Scorpions with the likes of Mikyle Louis, Keacy Carty and Oshane Thomas.
Those changes, while impacting some recent debutants (Cameron Pennyfeather and Shelton Forbes), were handled with a new management approach focused on transparency. “One of the things I brought into the set-up is just clarity and ensuring that we have conversations with players, so no player is unaware as to the reason why they are in or why they are left out,” Liburd explained.
The batting department has shown promising signs, though several key players are yet to convert their starts into centuries. Jahmar Hamilton, Karima Gore, and Jewel Andrew have both scored half centuries but haven’t reached the coveted three-figure mark. The Hurricanes are the only team in the 2025 edition of the West Indies Championship after two rounds that are yet to have a centurion.
Speaking about the three marquee players, Liburd noted, “Obviously, I rate all three of them highly. They’re rated highly amongst the group, amongst the batting group as well. We have had conversations with each of them prior to the start of the season and after that first game against the West Indies Academy. We spoke as a group, people getting hundreds, getting big hundreds… They would have been in form getting half centuries each but not going on, and it’s something we actually spoke about yesterday as a batting group.”
Specifically about Jewel, the coach mentioned: “Jewel is one who, again, has raw talent and he’s still finding his feet in first-class cricket. If my mind is not mistaken, I don’t think he has played more than 10 first-class games for the Leeward Islands. Still a work in progress.”
Regarding Jahmar Hamilton, there was a specific mention that he had been getting to the 80-90 run mark but hasn’t yet converted to that “three-figure mark”.
The bowling department is set to receive a significant boost with the return of Joseph from the recently concluded ILT20 tournament. “He made it clear that he wants to play for the Leeward Islands and it’s always good when guys who go to the highest level, once they’re free, they’re always eager to come back to contribute to the franchise,” Liburd stated. However, Justin Greaves remains unavailable due to personal reasons, with his return targeted for the round four encounter against the Windward Islands”, Liburd stated.
Questions surrounding experienced fast bowler Jeremiah Louis’ position in the team were addressed head-on by the coach. Despite increased competition in the pace bowling department with six quality fast bowlers now available to the squad, Liburd emphasized Louis’ recent achievements, including reaching 150 first-class wickets and his recent tour of England with the Test team, underlining his continued importance to the squad.
Looking ahead to the Trinidad clash, both teams enter the contest with unblemished records, setting up what promises to be a compelling encounter. The Leeward Islands, who secured victory against Trinidad in their previous home meeting (Warner Park) last year, are approaching the match with measured confidence. “I think for the game, it’s just about being strategic and just how you plan. It’s a bit longer format. I think the team who bats best in this game will definitely come out on top,” Liburd assessed.
The team’s preparation has been marked by a positive atmosphere, with Liburd highlighting the strong team chemistry. “The mood in our camp is really high-spirited. The guys continue to gel together, gel well, and continue to communicate with each other. Things are really, really high in the group and just looking to go from strength to strength as a team,” he concluded, setting an optimistic tone for the crucial upcoming fixture.
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