The region’s most promising junior men’s cricketers will take to the field on Sunday as the 2026 CWI Rising Stars Under-15 tournament gets underway under a revised bilateral series format.
This year’s edition of the 50-Over competition will feature three concurrent, five-match bilateral series played across three host territories (Guyana, Antigua and Jamaica).
CWI’s Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe spoke to the factors that were considered during the review process and the areas prioritised in the identification of alternative formats.
“The start of this tournament represents an important step in how we continue to support youth development across the region, while carefully managing financial resources. At the Under-15 level, our priority is clear – identifying talent and giving young players the best possible platform to showcase their skills.
“In designing this year’s structure, we focused on expanding opportunities for participation, strengthening the quality of player assessment, and ensuring that our identification processes are as thorough and far-reaching as possible,” Bascombe said.
“Importantly, this format keeps the emphasis on player growth, evaluation and long-term potential. This is about building a strong foundation for West Indies cricket and ensuring that our young players are well prepared for each stage of the pathway, ultimately leading to the international level.”
The start of the tournament marks a key milestone in CWI’s ongoing review of the structure and delivery of regional cricket competitions for the 2026–2027 period, with a focus on strengthening player pathways, enhancing performance assessment, and ensuring the sustainable management of resources during a challenging financial period.
As the foundational stage of the regional development pathway, the Under-15 tournament is primarily focused on talent identification. In shaping this year’s format, priority was placed on maintaining playing opportunities, broadening scouting reach, and creating meaningful development experiences for players across the Caribbean.
In keeping with this approach, no overall winner will be declared at the end of the series, with the emphasis placed squarely on assessing and identifying talent rather than team standings or championship outcomes.
The developmental focus of the tournament is also being supported by the presence of former international players and experienced coaches within several team management units.
Former international and regional first-class players, including Stuart Williams (Leeward Islands), Robert Samuels and Sheldon Cottrell (Jamaica); along with veteran regional and international coaches Roderick Estwick (Barbados) and Dalton Polius (Windward Islands), will provide invaluable guidance to the young talent throughout the tournament.
Barbados Under-15 squad: Javion Batson, Michael Bend, Micaiah Brathwaite, Omari Daniel-Hood, Oshea Francis, Kieran Gittens, Malikai Mason, Jalan McAllister, Shaquan Parris, Shiv Sahadeo, Shawnico Sargeant, Liam Sealy, Ben Shepherd, Charles Wood.
(PR)
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