The best young cricketers in the West Indies are assembling in Trinidad & Tobago for the West Indies Rising Stars Boys’ Under17s Regional Tournament that features both 50-Over and two-day formats and starts on Saturday 12 August until 31 August. For this 2023 edition, Cricket West Indies (CWI) is introducing a two-day red ball format to add to the pre-existing 50-Over format for the Rising Stars Under 17s Regional Championships. Teams will compete for the West Indies Rising Stars U17s 50-Over Cup and the West indies Rising Stars U17s 2-Day Championship.

“The introduction of the Two-Day component at the Under 17s level is a significant step forward in the development of multi-format cricketers for the future. It is essential that our young talent enjoy the challenge of the red ball format, igniting their ambitions to play Test Cricket.” The West Indies Rising Stars Under 17s Tournament will feature five rounds of 50-over white ball matches from August 12-20 and three rounds of two-day red ball matches from August 23-31 to be played at the National Cricket Centre (NCC), Inshan Ali Park, PowerGen Sports Ground and Gilbert Park Cricket Ground (GPCG). A champion will be crowned at the end of each format, as WI Rising Stars Under 17s 50 Over Cup Champions and WI Rising Stars Under 17s 2-Day Champions.

 This tournament is a key element of the West Indies Future Stars development programme, allowing the best players in the region to test themselves within their age group. The tournament is pivotal for identifying talent and facilitating player progression to produce the next generation of West Indies senior international cricketers. Miles Bascombe, CWI's Director of Cricket added : “The addition of the two-day format presents coaches and players with the opportunity to craft skills for the longer format at an earlier stage in the players’ development. It is also a tangible way for CWI to demonstrate its commitment to securing the future of West Indian Test Cricket.”

CWI’s strategic plan has committed resources into developing the game at every level and these tournaments therefore play a vital role in the strategy to develop the talent pool and produce the next generation of West Indies players. The West Indies Rising Stars Under 17s Championships completes the full 2023 calendar of CWI’s regional age group cricket which featured the men’s West Indies Rising Stars Under 15s and Under 19s Championships, as well as the Rising Stars Women’s Under 19s Championship.

 
Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)