West Indies Under-19 head coach Rohan Nurse has expressed a balanced assessment of his team’s showing at the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup in Africa, acknowledging both the disappointment of an early exit and the broader developmental gains achieved during the campaign.
While the Joshua Dorne-led squad fell short of its stated ambition to advance deeper into the tournament, Nurse maintained that the experience delivered meaningful progress for a group navigating the demands of elite international competition.
“Ultimately there is a little tinge of disappointment knowing we would have had our stated goals, and we fell short in that regard. We probably struggled a little bit to find the consistency of performance you need in a tournament of such,” Nurse said.
A campaign of fine margins
West Indies advanced from the group stage after finishing second, their only setback coming against Afghanistan. That result shaped their path into the Super Six phase, where they opened with an encouraging win over Ireland before meeting defending champions Australia in a decisive encounter that brought their World Cup journey to an end.
The elimination underscored the fine margins at the highest level of youth cricket, where sustained consistency often proves as decisive as individual brilliance.
Performance beyond the scorecards
Despite the early exit, Nurse emphasized that the tournament revealed strong performances across the squad and provided critical exposure beyond what traditional bilateral series can offer.
“But be that as it may, we did see very good performances throughout the tournament individually, as well as a team, and we also discussed that we didn’t play our best cricket based on what would have transpired leading up to the World Cup in the two previous series.
“But it was a very good opportunity, good exposure for the players, different environments, different conditions, and the nature of a World Cup is quite different to that of a series, and for them to have that understanding and exposure is really great for their future endeavours,” Nurse pointed out.
Growth in resilience and identity
Tracing the team’s evolution from their preparatory series against Sri Lanka through to the conclusion of the World Cup, Nurse highlighted improvements that extended beyond technical skill.
“From that initial series against Sri Lanka to the end of the World Cup campaign we would have seen improvements in terms of their resilience, their ability to play together as a team, understanding the importance of their routines both on and off the field, especially in preparation for matches, and over the period we would have seen players start to emerge in terms of their performances and their understanding of the game.”
Building for the future
Perhaps most encouraging, Nurse believes the tournament served its broader purpose by helping West Indies cricket identify talent capable of long-term progression within the regional system.
“I think that come the end of the campaign, when we look back, I am certain we have identified some players who we can definitely say ‘this guy is worth the investment of West Indies cricket going forward’ and I’m quite happy with that,” he added.
While the World Cup ended earlier than hoped, the Windies Under-19s return home with greater clarity, experience, and a foundation that may yet yield lasting dividends for West Indies cricket.
