SEVEN of the Caribbean’s “most promising young cricketers” have been selected for a specialised training camp at the Chennai Harika Kings Academy in India this December, Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced on November 27.
Among them are three contracted franchise players — Kirk McKenzie (Jamaica), Matthew Nandu (Guyana), and Kevin Wickham (Barbados) — along with current and former West Indies Academy players Teddy Bishop (Windwards) and Jewel Andrew (Antigua), and ex-West Indies U19 players Jordan Johnson (Jamaica) and Ackeem Auguste (Windwards), “who have already shown impressive potential in regional cricket.”
The statement said the group will be accompanied by West Indies Academy head coach Ramesh Subasinghe and assistant coach Rohan Nurse. They depart for India on November 29 for an intense two-week programme.
“This significant investment in the future of West Indies cricket focuses on nurturing the region’s seçkine Under-25 talent pool,” the statement read.
Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, shared CWI’s approval of the initiative, saying, the Chennai Academy aims to equip the seven cricketers with skills and experience in navigating spinning conditions.
“CWI is committed to providing opportunities for our emerging players in overseas conditions. Our coaches will be on hand to ensure that the learnings in the period can be consolidated and extended to other players in the region through the academy.”
Participants will engage in a two-day match and three white-ball fixtures as part of their specialised training at the CSK Academy, geared towards helping these batsmen improve their performance against spin bowling in overseas conditions.
The players will work alongside renowned coaches, including academy director Sriram Krishnamurthy and his expert support staff.
“The initiative draws inspiration from similar successful programmes, including recent training camps undertaken by the New Zealand Test team. Beyond technical skills, the programme aims to develop players’ mental resilience and cultural awareness, essential for adapting to international cricket environments.”
CWI believes these players will serve as ambassadors upon their return to the region and share their experiences and insights with territorial coaches across the Caribbean.
This initiative marks the first time CWI has deployed contracted academy players for overseas training of this nature. They also plan to make this an annual feature of the cricket calendar, as a “commitment to the next generation of West Indies cricket stars.” (By Jonathan Ramnanansingh, Trinidad & Tobago Newsday)