By Neto Baptiste
National youth cricketers Micah McKenzie and Matthew Miller are thankful for the opportunity to represent the West Indies Under-19 squad in the pending ICC Under-19 Men’s World Cup and are hoping to grab the opportunity with both hands.
The duo was named among four Antiguans in the 15-member squad to contest the January 15th to February 6th, 2026 tournament set to be hosted in Namibia and Zimbabwe.
Miller, all-rounder with the Jennings Tigers cricket team on the local front, said receiving the news brought a sense of accomplishment.
“Honestly, getting that World Cup call, it was really something that I’ve always dreamed of because as a young boy growing up, I always told my parents I wanted to play for the West Indies in any World Cup. So, getting that call really made me have a lot of joy inside and now living that dream and getting the opportunity to do it, I’m just grateful for it. Not much expectations from me, just to put my best foot forward and do whatever I can for the team. Well, of course, there’s going to be pressure but it’s just how you handle it and believe in your ability to do whatever you can,” he said.
Meanwhile McKenzie, known for his difficult leg-spin for the Empire Nation team, said he worked hard for the opportunity to represent the region on the global stage and is excited to compete at the prestigious tournament.
“We really worked hard towards it; it’s not like we really had much of that over the past couple of years but to be a part of the four, and even in the selection, that was a very special moment. Very excited to go and play a World Cup. I’m not really nervous because being nervous doesn’t really come into play right now in cricket for me. I’m not sure if when I get there, I’ll have some jitters or whatever the case may be, but right now, I feel very excited going,” the player said.
McKenzie made his List A debut for the West Indies Academy against the Sri Lanka Emerging Men’s team in June and recently received his maiden cap for Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the 2025 CG United Super 50 Cup.
The other two Antiguans selected in the squad are wicketkeeper/batters Jewel Andrew, who will play in the tournament for a second straight year and Tanez Francis, who recently represented the Leeward Islands in both the under-17 and under-19 tournaments put on by Cricket West Indies.
West Indies have been drawn in Group D alongside South Africa, Afghanistan and Tanzania. All group matches will be played at the High-Performance Oval in Windhoek, Namibia. Ahead of the tournament, they will play warm-up matches against Ireland and Japan in Windhoek.
The top three teams from each group will advance to the Super Six phase followed by the Semi-Finals on 3 and 4 February, and the Final on 6 February at Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe.
About The Author
