ST JOHN’S, Antigua – A new chapter in Caribbean cricket development kicked off this week as a 16-player West Indies Academy squad departed for a three-week reciprocal developmental tour of Sri Lanka, set to run from June 3 to 27, 2026. The trip will see the next generation of West Indian cricket talent face off against Sri Lanka Emerging Players in a five-match, multi-format series crafted to strengthen the region’s pipeline of elite senior players.
This tour is a return fixture following the Sri Lanka Emerging Team’s 2025 visit to Antigua, where the two sides played a tightly contested split series: the two four-day matches ended with one win apiece, while the West Indies Academy claimed a 2-1 victory in the three-match 50-over leg. The 2026 tour will mirror that 2025 structure, with two four-day red-ball matches followed by three 50-over white-ball contests, offering young prospects an unmatched opportunity to gain high-quality overseas match experience and adapt to Sri Lanka’s challenging subcontinental pitch and weather conditions against a similarly motivated peer opposition.
The squad has been assembled to balance proven potential and fresh opportunity, blending 13 long-time Academy participants with three newly called-up emerging talents. Three current squad members – fast bowlers Johann Layne, Jediah Blades and spinner Zishan Motara – already boast senior international caps for the West Indies, bringing valuable top-level experience to the young group. Two regular Academy players were unable to join the tour: Ackeem Auguste earned a call-up to the full West Indies senior squad, while Carlon Bowen-Tuckett withdrew for personal reasons. Their spots have been awarded to up-and-coming talents Kevlon Anderson, Shaqkere Parris and Johann Jeremiah, who will now get their first taste of international developmental competition.
To bolster the tour’s coaching staff, Guyana Harpy Eagles head coach Ryan Hercules has joined the Academy management team as an assistant coach, adding additional first-class experience to support the development of the young players throughout the trip.
Speaking ahead of the squad’s departure, West Indies Academy head coach Ramesh Subasinghe outlined the core mission of the tour, noting that high-stakes exposure to unfamiliar conditions is one of the most valuable tools for grooming future senior stars. “Our Academy objective is simple: to develop players into the next level of their careers, and tours like this play a key part in that journey,” Subasinghe said. “Sri Lanka has historically been one of the toughest places for West Indian teams to compete. This tour represents the perfect platform to immerse our brightest emerging talent in conditions that will truly test and shape them.”
Subasinghe highlighted the proven impact of these exchange series, pointing to the 2025 home tie against Sri Lanka Emerging that already produced four players who have since graduated to the full West Indies senior men’s squad, with many other participants earning contracts in regional franchise competitions and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
Dwain Gill, High-Performance Manager at Cricket West Indies (CWI), emphasized that the tour forms a core part of CWI’s long-term strategy to rebuild and strengthen West Indies cricket by investing in youth. “This tour is an extremely important component of our long-term development pathway programme as we continue to invest in the future of West Indies cricket,” Gill said. “Opportunities like these allow our emerging players to experience competitive international environments, adapt to unfamiliar conditions and further develop the technical, tactical and mental skills required at the highest level of the game.”
The squad will begin their tour in Hambantota, where both four-day matches will be hosted at the Mahindra Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, with the first fixture running from June 8 to 11 and the second from June 15 to 18. The team will then travel to Colombo for the white-ball leg of the tour, with the first two 50-over matches set to take place at the Sinhalese Cricket Club on June 22 and 24, and the final series match scheduled for June 26 at the Nondescripts Cricket Club. All fixtures will be played under official International Cricket Council (ICC) playing regulations.
Full West Indies Academy Squad: Rivaldo Clarke (Captain), Kevlon Anderson, Ryan Bandoo, Jediah Blades, Giovonte Depeiza, Mavendra Dindyal, Nathan Edward, Damel Evelyn, Amari Goodridge, Johann Jeremiah, Shaqkere Parris, Mbeki Joseph, Johann Layne, Zishan Motara, Kelvin Pitman, Raneico Smith.
Full Tour Management Unit: Don Ramesh Subasinghe (Head Coach), Rohan Nurse (Assistant Coach), Ryan Hercules (Assistant Coach), Shanique Peters (Physiotherapist), Hance Richards (Strength & Conditioning Coach), Clint St. Hill (Manager)