ST JOHN’S, Antigua — The West Indies Under-19 side embarks on another critical phase of its World Cup build-up on Sunday when it confronts England in a seven-match Youth ODI series in Grenada.
The contest offers fresh opportunity for evaluation and refinement as the Caribbean squad sharpens its readiness for the ICC Under-19 World Cup early next year.
Momentum from a hard-fought triumph
The young West Indies unit enters the series buoyed by its gritty 4-3 victory over Sri Lanka in Antigua just over two months ago, a performance head coach Rohan Nurse believes has already produced meaningful lessons in resilience and self-belief.
“We were really impressed with the resilience shown by the players in the last series, especially since it was the first time they had been together as a team,”
Nurse said.
“Those are elements that can’t necessarily be coached – they have to be developed within the group, and we’re quite happy with that. We want to build on it going forward.”
Fresh faces and a deepening player pool
Three changes have been made from the squad that faced Sri Lanka, with DeShawn James returning from injury and Kunal Tilokani and Tanez Francis earning call-ups after standout showings in the regional Under-17 tournament. Afraz Ali Buhdoo, Micah Greenidge, and Pajay Nelson miss the England series but remain part of the extended pool, alongside Jewel Andrew and Micah McKenzie, from which the final World Cup team will be selected in the coming months.
Sharpening standards across all departments
While encouraged by the squad’s fighting spirit, Nurse made clear that the next step involves enhancing consistency, discipline, and clarity of roles throughout the line-up.
“One of the main things we’ve emphasized is maintaining intensity in all departments – batting, bowling and especially fielding. We want to create some kind of advantage in that area,” he explained.
He added that establishing firm foundations at the top of the batting order is central to their progress.
“We’ve seen that we can put together very good performances and be competitive at the international Under-19 level. It all starts at the top from a batting viewpoint and being able to convert when we get starts. That’s been a key focus in preparation. From a bowling standpoint, we’ve also worked on clearly defining roles and identifying who best suits which role.”
A timely opportunity
With the Under-19 World Cup fast approaching, the England series serves as an ideal proving ground—one that demands performance while continuing to build professionalism, unity, and clarity within the squad.
“This series comes at a really good time for us,” Nurse said.
“Now, it’s more about moving toward a performance-driven environment – while still helping the guys understand professionalism, expectations and roles on and off the field.”
Squad and support staff
West Indies Under-19 Squad vs England: Joshua Dorne, Shaquan Belle, Brendan Boodoo, Tyriek Bryan, Zachary Carter, Earsinho Fontaine, Tanez Francis, R’Jai Gittens, DeShawn James, Vitel Lawes, Matthew Miller, Isra-el Morton, Jakeem Pollard, Aadian Racha, Kunal Tilokani, Johnathan Van Lange.
Team Management: Head Coach – Rohan Nurse; Assistant Coach – Jerome Taylor; Assistant Coach – Nikita Miller; Physiotherapist – Kwayne Dalrymple; Strength & Conditioning Coach – Shayne Cooper; Team Analyst – Keshava Ramphal; Manager – Clint St Hill.
Match Schedule
1st Y-ODI – 16 November
2nd Y-ODI – 19 November
3rd Y-ODI – 21 November
4th Y-ODI – 24 November
5th Y-ODI – 26 November
6th Y-ODI – 29 November
7th Y-ODI – 1 December
