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2026 ICC U-19 50-Over World Cup… Strong Windies team could easily dominate tournament
Kaieteur Sports – West Indies will be keen on flexing their muscles come January 15 when the opening Group Stages of the 2026 ICC U-19 50-Over World Cup bowls off, with the Caribbean boys chasing history as part of their first and most important assignment of the New Year.
With the cup nowadays away, the Caribbean boys have been working themselves into the necessary form needed to compete against some of the top prospects from across the globe. Several players from the Windies side have been in good form as of late, most of whom wrapped up 2025 on high personal notes, thus carrying the momentum into this New Year following a solid last year.
Most of the Caribbean lads have been amongst the action throughout 2025, thus adding to their current position as now, key players in the Windies World Cup campaign.
Jonathan Van Lange was named as the Vice-Captain of the WI U-19 WC Team.
Players got some ample time during the 2025 Regional Tournaments as well as the international preparatory series, like the 7-match Youth ODI series versus England in Grenada. Players also had a nice 7-match series versus Sri Lanka in August/September, with the Windies winning both encounters.
The natural order of things for the World Cup is for teams to utilize their best weapons to help control whichever Group they may belong to. Windies skipper, Bajan Joshua Dorne and his deputy in Guyanese Jonathan Van Lange, are front-runners to carry the team; given their amazing run in 2025, both players will be looked upon to continue the success of the team.
Other key players like West Indies T20 player Jewel Andrew, one of the youngest in history to play limited overs cricket for the Windies senior team, Zachary Carter, Matthew Miller, Jakeem Pollard, Shaquan Belle and Vitel Lawes, have all punched their tickets on the international stage during the skirmish against Sri Lanka and England.
Joshua Dorne
One huge call-up was that of Guyanese Shamar Apple, who bullied his way onto the local, regional and now international circuit following sheer dedication, skill and the willingness to improve as a professional.
At just 16, his World Cup dream could be realized very early, having already been drafted to the Guyana Harpy Eagles senior team and his stint versus England, where he and another top Caribbean prospect in leg-break bowler, Micah McKenzie.
McKenzie, who made his List A debut for the West Indies Academy (WIA) against the Sri Lanka Emerging Men’s team last summer, was a recent addition to the Leeward Islands Hurricanes franchise for the 2025 CG United Super 50 Cup.
All-rounders Aaidan Racha, Isa-el Morton and Jakeem Pollard will also be huge for the Windies, given their performances last year in both departments, especially with the ball should easily help push the Windies’ case as one of the more confident, hard-to-beat teams in the cup.
Grouping could also be a huge factor for the West Indies, who are in Group D alongside South Africa, Afghanistan and Tanzania; with all matches being played at the High-Performance Oval in Windhoek, Namibia.
Ahead of the Cup, teams 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. (Clifton Ross)
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