The West Indies Under-19 men’s cricket team are revving up preparations as they strive to achieve glory at the ICC Under-19 World Cup, scheduled to be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia from January 15 to February 6, 2026. The team, led by Joshua Dorne, with Rohan Nurse as head coach, are hoping to repeat the success of 2016, when the Windies Under-19 team emerged victorious for the first and only time.
Among the young men selected for the tournament is Antiguan batter Jewel Andrew, who made his senior international debut in 2024 in One Day Internationals and his T20 International debut for the Men in Maroon last year. Andrew also has a Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League half-century to his name.
In a pre-tournament interview, Dorne revealed that his team were excited about the opportunity and confident in their chances at the tournament.
“Just the exposure of playing in an ICC tournament against different international teams and just getting that experience,” the Barbadian said. “For everybody, it would be good to get that experience…Obviously, with the addition of Jewel to the team, it really means a lot, you know, because obviously he has that international exposure.”
These sentiments were supported by Dorne’s deputy, Jonathan Van Lange.
“Just looking forward to the challenge,” the Guyanese said. “This is my first Under-19 World Cup, my first major tournament. Just looking forward to putting on some good performances for the team. I’ve been utilising the indoor nets with our pathway coaches.”
Head coach Nurse noted that he is striving to instil valuable insight in his players that will not only benefit them for the tournament but also as they continue to advance towards professional careers.
“From the get-go, we wanted them to understand what it takes to play at the international level, whether it be youth ODI or beyond, and appreciate what it takes to be a professional,” he said. “They have started to train in that direction, understanding the importance of off-field activities and on-field activities. So, we just want to continue embracing the opportunities that they are being afforded.”
