Chattergoon backs young West Indies for World Cup championship

Former Guyana and West Indies under-19 batsman Hemnarine Chattergoon is throwing his support behind West Indies to lift the International Cricket Council Youth World Cup Trophy.

The action is set to bowl off on Friday with two matches being played simultaneously at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence and at Everest in Georgetown.

West Indies will open their campaign against Australia at the Stadium, while Scotland and Sri Lanka will do battle at the other venue. According to Chattergoon, the team is talented enough, and based on the composition of the squad, they should make a big impression at the 14th edition.
“I think the side is very talented, and that gives me the confidence of them doing well at this year’s tournament across the Caribbean. West Indies won the championship before, so that can also inspire this set of new players to make the entire Caribbean proud,” Chattergoon related.
West Indies have been placed in Group D, and will play their two remaining preliminary round matches in St. Kitts and Nevis against Scotland and Sri Lanka respectively. West Indies last won the prestigious World Cup Trophy in 2016 under the captaincy of Guyanese and West Indies flambouyant batsman Shimron Hetmyer.
Quizzed on the strategies West Indies can employ on home soil, Chattergoon revealed it is about clever cricket. “Our boys have a huge advantage playing in familiar conditions, and I am confident they can utilise them well. But they have to be strategic in every game; just play intelligent cricket from ball one,” Chattergoon, whose younger brother Sewnarine Chattergoon represented West Indies at the highest level, commented.
The final is set to take place at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua and Barbuda on February 5th. Chattergoon, who also played for Canada internationally, strongly believes that skipper Ackeem Auguste is a formidable cricketer, and needless to say, he is more than hungry to hoist the trophy.
West Indies have played several matches in England and in the Caribbean before this mega event, and that should help the team’s confidence immensely, he said.
“I think preparation is of paramount importance, and I have seen West Indies…do some work in buildup for this massive assignment, and that would certainly make a big difference; but it is just about going out there now and play positive cricket in front of their fans,” the 44-year-old right-handed batsman Chattergoon mentioned. A total of 16 teams will be participating in the competition.