By Neto Baptiste
Two Antiguan cricketers in batsman Devon Thomas and all-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall, have been included in a 14-member Leeward Islands senior men’s teams for the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional Super50 slated to bowl off on November 6.
They are joined by Jahmar Hamilton (Captain), Montcin Hodge, Keacy Carty and Yannick Leonard all of Anguilla. St Kitts’ Sheeno Berridge, Jeremiah Louis, Akeem Saunders and Terrance Warde are also included, while Nevis’ Kezron Archibald, Kieran Powell and Jason Campbell are also in the line-up. Trinidad & Tobago’s opening batsman, Amir Jangoo, rounds off the selections.
Antiguan fast bowler, Alzarri Joseph and spinner Hayden Walsh Jr, are notably excluded from the squad.
Cricket Operations Manager for the Leeward Islands Cricket Board (LICB), Vernon Springer, explained that both players are unavailable owning to other commitments.
“They will be on West Indies duties so the only [West Indies player] who is available for the first two games will be Rahkeem Cornwall. It is also notable to inform you, too, that Sheldon Cottrell, had he been available and there wasn’t going to be a tour, he would have been playing in the white ball competition with the Leeward Islands Hurricanes,” he said.
Springer, however, expects the team will be at full strength for the four-day tournament early next year.
“The four-day competition starts in January from the 6th to the 12th and you also have a tour coming up. So if everything goes well and Walsh and Joseph get selected … they might not even be available for the first three to four games of the PCL in 2020 with the tour of Ireland coming here,” the official said.
Four reserved players in Jacques Taylor of St Kitts; Kelbert Walters of Anguilla; Ross Powell of Nevis; and Quinton Boatswain of Montserrat were also named by the selection panel.
The team is coached by former West Indies opening batsman Stuart Williams of Nevis and assistant coach Wilden Cornwall of Antigua.