Squads have been confirmed for the inaugural Cricket West Indies Breakout League, which will feature the six traditional territorial teams, operating in a franchise format, playing T20 cricket between the end of April and early May. Six Saint Lucians have been included in this year’s tournament, which is intended to be a bridge to the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League.
Turning out for the Windward Islands Infernos will be Shadrack Descarte (27), Ackeem Auguste (21), Keon Gaston (21), Noelle Leo (21), and Lee John (19). McKenny Clarke (21) will appear for the Trinidad & Tobago Legions. Head coach of the Saint Lucia Cricket High Performance Centre, John Eugene told St Lucia Times that this is a massive fillip for local cricket, and for the young men who have been called up. Five of the six are current or former participants in the HPC.
“It’s an amazing time for us. I’m really excited, knowing that these players will now get the opportunity to play against their counterparts in the region in the 30-and-under age group,” said Eugene, a former West Indies A team captain. “It’s going to be a wonderful experience, a wonderful opportunity for our guys.”
During the ongoing CWI Four-Day Championship series, Descarte has been a mainstay for the Windward Islands Volcanoes, scoring his maiden First Class century at home against the Leeward Islands. Johnnel Eugene, Lee John, and Keon Gaston have all been called up to the squad throughout the first five rounds of play, continuing a trend of Saint Lucian success in the sport at various levels, including youth and women’s cricket.
“I think it’s a continuation of what has happened for Saint Lucia cricket for the last 12 to 16 months,” Eugene insisted. “We have seen a number of our players flocked in the First Class setup. Now we see that our players are getting more opportunities to be part of this new initiative by Cricket West Indies. I think the HPC is excited. We are happy that our players are getting this exposure. And it will just be a form of motivation for the other guys to step up their game and join their counterparts.”
Speaking of players with first-class experience like Kimani Melius, and youngsters such as Tarrique Edward and Theo Edward, Eugene shared his confidence that they will have a role to play in tournaments like the Breakout League, the CPL, and CWI Championship going forward.
“I think everybody is full of hope now that [there are] new leagues and new opportunities,” said Eugene. “Melius is now coming out of injury, and we have a number of guys just in the borderline of opportunities like that. So I think that it’s just an amazing time for us in Saint Lucia when it comes to cricket. It’s just excitement.”
In keeping with its mission to spotlight emerging talent, all selected players in the 2025 West Indies Breakout League must have limited professional experience. Eligibility criteria stipulate that players must have participated in fewer than 40 List A T20 matches and fewer than 10 International T20s.
The league is set to take place from April 25 to May 10, featuring 17 matches, all to be hosted at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad & Tobago.
