Two Saint Lucian cricketers are eyeing West Indies senior selection after earning spots in the regional A team to face England A. Allrounder Shadrack Descarte and fast bowler Keon Gaston were on Sunday named in the squads for an eight-match limited-overs home series next month in St Kitts & Nevis.
Both from Mon Repos, and both current or former members of the Saint Lucia Cricket High Performance Centre and the Saint Lucia Kings, Descarte and Gaston are stepping up from contending for the Windward Islands, as they hope to impress Ottis Gibson, West Indies fast-bowling consultant and A team head coach.
Cricket West Indies said in its release that the One-Day squad has been picked with next February’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier as the immediate priority, and the World Cup in October 2027 beyond it.
Just turned 29, Descarte is currently competing in the Canada Premier League, demonstrating his growing stature in the game. A left-handed middle-order batsman and right-arm medium pacer, he made his List A debut in late 2022 before breaking into the Caribbean Premier League with the Kings and the Windward Islands first-class side in 2023 and 2024. His white-ball credentials include 18 wickets at 22.61 in 17 List A matches, and valuable middle-order contributions with a top score of 60.
Gaston, a 23-year-old emerging right-arm fast bowler, made an immediate impression at regional level last year, taking 7-78 on his first-class debut for the Windward Islands against Barbados. His raw pace and control have earned him five wickets in nine CPL matches for the Kings.
West Indies A will play three T20 matches against England A between November 1-4 at Conaree Cricket Ground. Both Saint Lucians will be involved, under captain Alick Athanaze, another Windward Islands player. Descarte will stay on for five One-Day matches between Warner Park and Conaree, under the captaincy of Keacy Carty.
CWI has made it clear that this series will be an audition for players who are not currently part of the senior setup. For Descarte and Gaston, it’s an opportunity to join Ackeem Auguste at the highest echelons of international cricket, following in the footsteps of previous Saint Lucian cricketers Daren Sammy, Gairy Mathurin, and Johnson Charles.
