Under-19 head coach seeking to win back-to-back tournaments

Head coach of Barbados’ Under-19 team Robin Parris is confident his troops will retain their title in the upcoming Cricket West Indies Rising Stars Under-19 tournament.

Gadson Bowens will captain the team in the competition, which will be played from July 9 to 23 in Antigua.

Gadson Bowens. (Photo Credit: BCA CRICKET.ORG)

Speaking to Barbados TODAY following the announcement of  the squad, Parris described the group as a well-rounded, well-balanced unit. 

“Well of course we have the captain Gadson Bowens, there is also Justin Parris who has developed well and is just coming off an ‘A’ team tour. Additionally, there is also R’Jai Gittens, who is also fresh off of the last West Indies World Cup team, along with Rafael Lovell, who would make up the experienced core of the team.

“A couple of the guys have been playing for a few years now, with some based in England and a few others based in Barbados, so overall it’s a decent team which is still developing,” Parris said.

The head coach said the team’s fast bowling unit was especially potent and is expected to do well in Antigua.

“We have five good, young developing fast bowlers and we have won the competition for the last few seasons, so it’s testimony to the work that the previous coaches would have put in and the strength of Barbados’ youth cricket as a whole.

Parris said he was not intimidated by Barbados’ impressive track record in the competition.

He said the team’s past successes were a source of inspiration.

“For me, it’s about maintaining the standards of Barbados and particularly youth cricket, maintaining the standards that have been set for not only the previous coaches, but also for myself and Roddy Eswick (assistant coach). 

“Obviously we’ll be coming in just to maintain and prepare the guys for higher standards and for a higher level of cricket, so we are basically preparing them and getting them into the good habits and good practices,” Parris explained.

“We want to take it one game at a time, prepare well, bond well together, and leave everything on the field”

BARBADOS UNDER-19 SQUAD: Gadson Bowens (captain), Asher Branford, Kelani Clarke, Kemar Dixon, R’Jai Gittens, Jordan Graham, Zarell Harding, Jahidi Hinds, Raphael Lovell, Justin Parris, Rajeev Parsooram, Jakeem Pollard, Seth Smith, Damarko Wiggins.

The management unit: Robin Parris (head coach), Roderick Estwick (assistant coach), Dwayne Best (manager), Kwayne Dalrymple (physiotherapist).

(KH)