Ryan Nurse named in the Barbados squad

Ryan Chicken Breast Nurse, one of this country's most exuberant and exciting young cricket talents, was yesterday named in a predictable 14-man Barbados squad for next month's Red Stripe Bowl.

The 18-year-old Nurse, a fast bowler who is always full of energy and a hard-hitting lower batsman, is the only player in the squad without the experience of a senior regional match.

Tall left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn and batsman Kurt Wilkinson are also new to regional cricket at the limited-overs level.

I felt nervous. It was up to the selectors but the hard work paid off, Nurse said moments after the squad was announced by chairman of selectors, Richard Edwards, following the completion of the third trial match at Weymouth.

His selection comes less than a month after he was named in a West Indies Under-19 20-man training squad in preparation for next January's Youth World Cup in New Zealand.

It will be a challenge, the Bow Road, St Michael resident said about the Red Stripe Bowl.

The guys, the coach and the manager were pushing me all the time. They were telling me that the West Indies are looking for more youngsters, so I told myself that I've got to work hard to get in the team.

While Nurse's name is totally new to regional cricket at the senior level, Benn and Wilkinson played in this year's Busta Cup championship for the West Indies B (under-23 team). Benn also had one match for Barbados in the 2000 Busta Cup.

The remainder of the squad is dominated by a host of experienced players who have represented Barbados in the last decade.

Sherwin Campbell was predictably reinstated as captain and his batting support will come from Philo Wallace, Adrian Griffith, Floyd Reifer, Ryan Hinds, Dale Richards, wicketkeeper Courtney Browne and allrounder Ian Bradshaw.

Corey Collymore and Pedro Collins are the likely new ball bowlers with Nurse, Bradshaw and Hendy Bryan as the other main seam options.

Spin will be provided by Benn and Hinds, while Wilkinson can also deliver useful medium-pace.

It was always a bit of difficulty because there were a number of very talented players that didn't make the 14, said Edwards, who only took over as chairman of selectors last week.

In the final analysis, however, we went basically with a team of experience and there are five young players in there.

In defending the selection of Nurse, Edwards said the former St George Secondary schoolboy had improved tremendously and is full of confidence.

He has come to the fore. A number of players would have challenged for that position. At the end of the day, we thought he had done more than the others at this point, Edwards said.

The chairman also pointed out that the squad was picked with the emphasis on winning the tournament, but fans could look forward to more youngters to be blooded for the 2002 first-class season, starting in January.

This is not a Busta Cup where you could perhaps put four more youngsters into the pot and see how they get through, Edwards said.

We are trying to have an experienced side with some youngsters involved. Come Busta Cup, I am sure you will see a lot more youngsters involved.

The Red Stripe Bowl, the region's premier limited-overs competition, bowls off on October 2.

Barbados, who were eliminated at the semifinal stage for the last three competitions, are in Zone B with hosts Guyana, Antigua and Southern Windwards.

The Final Four (semifinals and final) is scheduled for Jamaica for the fifth successive year from October 11 to 14.

Sherwin Campbell (captain), Philo Wallace, Adrian Griffith, Ryan Hinds, Floyd Reife, Dale Richards, Kurt Wilkinson, Courtney Browne, Ian Bradshaw, Hendy Bryan, Pedro Collins, Corey Collymore, Sulieman Benn, Ryan Nurse.