By Samuel Peters
Newly appointed Leeward Islands Hurricanes coach Steve Liburd remains optimistic about the team’s future. In a recent interview, Liburd, who took the helm in August, shared insights about his first four months in charge and his vision for the team’s development.
The Hurricanes, boasting nine West Indies representatives – reportedly the highest among current franchise teams – have shown promise under Liburd’s leadership. However, the absence of several key players due to international duties has presented both challenges and opportunities for the squad.
“Obviously, we want players to be playing at the highest level,” Liburd explained. “With those guys missing, it afforded opportunities for some other guys to stake their claim and put their name in the ring. It’s two-fold, having those experienced players away, but it also gives others the chance to gain first-class experience.”
Recent intra-squad trial matches have highlighted emerging talent within the Hurricanes’ ranks. Notable performances came from younger players like Shelton Forbes and Kadeem Henry, while established players such as Hayden Walsh Jr also impressed. Liburd emphasized that these matches were structured to allow younger players to bat in their natural positions, providing valuable assessment opportunities.
“What I really wanted from those two matches was just to see the ‘fresh’ players,” Liburd said. The trials featured experienced bowlers like Oshane Thomas and Jeremiah Louis, who have proven themselves in red-ball cricket, testing the newer recruits.
However, Liburd expressed some concerns about batting consistency, noting that while players were getting started with 40s and 50s, they weren’t converting these into bigger scores. “You’re going to play four-day cricket and you have to bat for a long period of time,” he stressed, highlighting this as an area for improvement before their first four-day game in approximately a month’s time when they face off against the West Indies Academy at the Coolidge Cricket Grounds.
The coach also spoke positively about several emerging prospects, including the tall, well-built left-handed batsman Shelton Forbes, currently studying in Jamaica, who impressed with a century in challenging conditions during the trials. “Good prospect. Some work still needs to be done,” Liburd assessed, emphasizing the importance of consistency in scoring.
Looking ahead, Liburd’s focus remains on player development and building consistency within the team. He cited Mikyle Louis’ success story from the previous season as an example of how consistent performance can lead to opportunities. With promising talents like Henry, who recently earned selection to the squad and scored valuable runs in recent matches, the future looks bright for the Hurricanes.
“Without revealing too much of our cards, I think those guys are making good strides in terms of what we require at the senior level,” Liburd concluded, suggesting a measured but optimistic approach to integrating young talent into the senior squad.
The Hurricanes will be looking to build on their semi-final appearance at the CG United Super 50 Competition as they prepare for their upcoming CWI Four Day Professional League.
