BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – West Indies Under–19 assistant coach Roddy Estwick believes the talented Barbadians he saw in the ICC U19 World Cup last month should be fast–tracked into the national team.
After a creditable third– place finish at the youth World Cup in New Zealand, the Caribbean youngsters returned home this week.
Batsman Kraigg Brathwaite, wicket-keeper/ batsman Shane Dowrich and tall pacer Jason Holder were standouts in the tournament and Estwick believes these talented U19 Barbadians are ready for first class cricket.
“I am sure they are (ready), from what I’ve see in New Zealand, I think they are ready. We need to get them in as soon as possible,” Estwick said in a CBC TV interview on the team’s arrival at the Grantley Adams International Airport on Monday afternoon.
Brathwaite, Dowrich and Holder all secured statistical top 10 positions in the ICC U19 event and Estwick favours them being inserted quickly into the Barbados squad for the current WICB Regional first-class season.
“I can’t tell Courtney Browne and the selectors how to do their job but judging from what I saw in New Zealand, I know they are certainly ready and they can only do Barbados cricket a lot of good,” stated Estwick, who assisted head coach Andre Coley in New Zealand.
Opener Brathwaite was the tournament’s second leading scorer – behind South African Dominic Hendricks – with an aggregate of 335 runs, averaging 67.00 with a highest score of 92 not out.
Dowrich, batting at No.6, recorded the sixth highest aggregate of 229 runs at an average of 45.80, with highest score of 84 not out.
The 6-foot-6-inch Holder collected 12 wickets for joint sixth in the ‘most wickets’ table.
He had a superb tournament-best five for 19 that set up an upset win over England in the quarter-finals and his dozen wickets came at a creditable 17.75 runs apiece, with a fine economy rate of 4.03.
A fourth Barbadian in the Windies U19 squad, left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, was bothered by injury and played only three games, claiming five wickets at 27 runs apiece.
Barbados are currently second in the WICB first class table with 33 points, three behind Jamaica, who have played a game less.
The WICB tournament is on a one-week break this coming weekend and when it restarts with the fifth round in Guyana from February 12-15, Barbados will face the hosts while Jamaica play Combined Campuses and Colleges and the Leeward Islands tackle the Windward Islands.
