BRIDGETOWN, Barbados — The West Indies Under-19 cricket team departed Grantley Adams International Airport on Tuesday, bound for Namibia and Zimbabwe, with ambitions to make a mark at the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026.
The squad carries momentum from recent series victories and a cohesive team spirit, meticulously nurtured through innovative preparation programs designed to sharpen both skills and strategy. With only execution remaining between them and their tournament objectives, the team projects confidence, focus, and ambition.
Challenging group, clear mandate
Drawn into Group D alongside South Africa, Afghanistan, and Tanzania, the Young Windies will begin their campaign against Tanzania in Windhoek on January 15.
Head coach Rohan Nurse acknowledged the challenge ahead while setting a tone of realistic ambition. “We’re daring to dream,” he said. “The fact that we would have played really well in the last two series has built confidence in the group.”
Innovative preparation bridges distance
Nurse highlighted the deliberate planning that brought the squad to this point, noting that maintaining cohesion since the team’s series victory over England last year required inventive approaches.
“We have been innovative with continuous communication, interactions, and online sessions where we share information,” he explained. “Everybody’s pretty clear in terms of what the objectives are.”
Aiming higher than ever
The primary objective is to surpass the performance of the 2022 squad, with the team seeking to reach at least the final stage of the tournament. Nurse emphasized the ambition underpinning the squad’s preparation:
“One of the minimum objectives for us is to ensure that we get into the final stage, which will be bettering the team from the last World Cup.”
Captain’s perspective: Experience meets confidence
Captain Joshua Dorne echoed his coach’s confidence, citing series wins over England and Sri Lanka as a source of momentum heading into Namibia.
“It gives us a big confidence boost going into the World Cup,” Dorne said. He also highlighted the value of wicketkeeper-batter Jewel Andrew, whose senior international experience provides the team with both insight and leadership.
“It really means a lot, he has that international exposure, so he can give information at any time,” Dorne noted, underscoring Andrew’s pivotal role in guiding a young but ambitious squad.
With a blend of youthful energy, international exposure, and careful preparation, the West Indies Under-19 squad enters the ICC World Cup with focus, ambition, and a plan. As they touch down in Namibia, the Young Windies carry not just the hopes of the Caribbean, but a clear mandate: to perform, to excel, and to raise the standard of regional youth cricket on the global stage.
