In sport, excellence in the junior ranks does not always translate to strong performances in senior competition. Just shy of his 21st birthday, former youth standout Tarrique Edward is hoping to complete his comeback from an injury-plagued 2024 season. The talented all-rounder is aiming to show the world just what he is made of.
In 2022 and 2023, the young man from Castries East was the toast of the town. Playing for the Windward Islands, his miserly bowling, timely wickets, stubborn lower-order batting, and electric fielding led to back-to-back most valuable player honours.
He was also named to the West Indies Under-19 team for the 2024 ICC Youth World Cup in South Africa. In five matches, he claimed four wickets, and his economy rate of 4.35 runs per over was the second-best for the West Indies. He did not get many opportunities with the bat, but contributed 29 runs in three innings, and added three catches.
“It was something that really opened my eyes,” he said of his youth success. “To tell me you have to really push for what you want because of how far you could reach with your ability and your skill. That was really something that I really stood and reflected on. And when I got MVP and was even a part of the West Indies set-up, it was magnificent for me to be involved. That was like a kickstart for me.”
Edward’s entry to senior cricket has not been seamless. He has been part of the Saint Lucia Cricket High Performance Centre (HPC) but was unable to take part in last year’s Under-23 series against the Commonwealth of Dominica. He did play a significant part in the HPC’s tour of Sint Maarten and has been impactful in domestic cricket.
Earlier this year, he was the second-leading bowler in the Saint Lucia Premier League (SPL) T20 tournament. He finished the SPL as the third-ranked overall player, taking 20 wickets and scoring 139 runs, including a half-century, as the SAIL Gros Islet Knights captured their maiden title. He also made 100 in recent Under-23 trial matches for the return series against Dominica.
“Well, I’m a team player first. I’m always a team player,” Edward explained. “I always contribute in all aspects of the game. I bowl off-spin. I bat in any position; in any situation that needs me, I’ll be able to contribute. I’m also a leader, which is a big part of my skill set.”
His maturity from a very young age has led him to captain Saint Lucia at Under-17 and Under-19 level. His versatility is a double-edged sword, however. His ability to fill in a number of different roles can sometimes mean that his contributions don’t jump off the stat sheet.
“It doesn’t really faze me, to be honest,” he said with a shrug. “Of course, you always want to stand out, but my performance, I always mark myself high. I’ve shown I can bowl and that I can bat. Fielding is always something that I work hard on, even though people might say I’m the best, but I still work twice as hard as somebody else on my fielding. It’s just for me to keep a level head and a good standard.”
The former West Indies youth player says that he is focusing on keeping things simple and not looking too far ahead. Next month, he is hopeful of being able to line up against Dominica in Roseau. If he does get the call, he will be ready, and he is looking forward to being able to take from the lessons he has learned from playing high-level cricket at youth level and to impose himself as a senior player.
“I feel like the guys are quite prepared for the upcoming series,” he insisted. “I’m looking to at least finish the year off strong, to show my seniority, show my experience, to stand out, show something, be more than a team player, be more than a leader, and show my experience of me playing at the international level.”
