The confirmations come as the St Lucia National Cricket Association released details of the tournament on Thursday.
Thirty matches, including a best-of-three women’s competition, are set to be played from June 23 to July 8, 2020, with two matches being played each day. Match times are 12:30 and 2:30 pm ECT respectively.
Local media entity Winners TV station will live stream and broadcasting the event, the association has said.
In addition to the West Indies trio, several other top regional players from St Lucia will also feature in the tournament that will be the first competitive sporting activity to take place in St. Lucia since the imposition of Covid-19 related restrictions in March.
Ackeem Auguste, Zayee Antoine, Caleb Thomas, Stephen Abraham, Keddy Lesporis, Jamaal James, Jonnel Eugene, Jaden Elibox, Keygan Arnold, Audy Alexander, Dalton Polius, Larry Edward, Tarryck Gabriel and Garvin Serieux are among the players confirmed for participation.
Meanwhile, two women’s teams comprised of a number of Windward Islands selectees will battle in a best-of-three format. Among the players expected to be involved are Under-19 players Zaida James - U19 Vice-Captain, Makada Dubois, Sunelli Dorius, Shernia Cooper and Skyy Smith, who is a reserve player.
The senior women will include Qiana Joseph, Ashlene Edward - Senior Vice-Captain, Yasmine St Ange, Nerissa Crafton (reserve) and Malika Edward.
“This will be a historic event as the embattled sports world comes to grips with the new Covid-19 norm, thrust unceremoniously upon humanity across the globe and the sporting fraternity makes the necessary adjustments to return to active sports,” SLNCA President Carol Henry.
“Excitement is building up among players, officials and cricket lovers alike as June 23, 2020, draws closer. It promises to be a very special occasion indeed.”
The competition that will feature St Lucia’s local players and professional cricketers will be played in the Darren Sammy Cricket Grounds in Gros Islet and with the population starved for live sports, Henry said the prospects of success are quite positive.
“Much interest has been piqued based on enquiries and the response from our affiliates and local media,” he told Sportsmax.TV. “There is eager anticipation as this heralds and is seen as the new norm, reopening of cricket in tandem with Saint Lucia Government's phased re-opening plans.”
Henry said a schedule for the tournament will be set as soon as the draft is finalised and that will be based on the level of sponsorship the association can generate for the tournament.
St Lucia has had 18 cases of Covid19. All 18 have made full recoveries in what has been the best of the success stories in the Caribbean to date. Notwithstanding, Henry said the association plans to ensure that that remains the case when the tournament gets underway.
“All existing protocols will be adopted and additional cricket specific adoptions are being introduced,” he said. “We are planning the incorporating of ICC guidelines. These protocols are being set out in conjunction with both our Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Health.”
The tournament will be the first organised sports competition in St Lucia since March 2020.
The teams will be comprised of local cricketers and professionals and there is optimism that players like Johnson Charles and former West Indies captain Darren Sammy will be displaying their skills during the two-week long tournament.
According to Carol Henry, President of the SLNCA, 30 matches are set to be played during the competition that will be staged at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground.
“We are in full planning mode,” Henry tells SportsMax.TV, adding that there will be two matches each day. The first match will begin at 12:30 pm with the second match set for a 2:30 pm start.
Of course, the matches will be played under a “closed venue” protocol in the interest of continuing to protect players and the citizens of St Lucia.
