Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

FORMER HOLMWOOD Technical High School Headley Cup player Andre McCarthy is the lone Jamaican selected in the West Indies Youth squad for next February's Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka.

"I feel very good to know that I got selected out of 20 guys for the West Indies Youth team," McCarthy said yesterday.

McCarthy, an all-rounder, believes his bowling and fielding got him in the 14-man squad and over two other Jamaicans in opening batsman Zeniffe Fowler and Alton Beckford.

"My bowling and fielding help make up my all-round game ... I feel very good in myself to know that I was selected over two (Jamaican) guys who played Under-19 cricket before," he said.

SCORED CENTURY

McCarthy, who scored a century in a Headley Cup semi-final against Vere, said he learnt a lot from the camp.

He said he has now switched his focus to the five warm-up matches in Pakistan and then the tournament.

"My aim is to go and do my best ... and when given the chance to bat to just go out and score some runs and when given the ball to bowl and take wickets .... and also back up my teammates," McCarthy said.

The Youth World Cup will be played from February 5-20 in Colombo. The West Indies were beaten by Pakistan in the in the final of the last World Cup which was played in Bangladesh.

Before going to Sri Lanka, the West Indies will visit Pakistan for five matches from January 18-30.

The team will be captained by Guyanese batsman Leon Johnson with Jason Mohammed of Trinidad and Tobago as his deputy.

Convenor of selectors Joey Carew said yesterday the team was confident of doing well at the event as its work ethic was high and the right mixture of players had been selected to do the job.

FANTASTIC GROUP

"We have a fantastic group of young players here and they take their responsibilities very seriously," Carew said.

"They were well prepared and we know we will do well in Sri Lanka. The coach (Roddy Estwick) has worked really hard with the team at the recent camp and I like the look of all the players I have seen. I think they can go all the way," he said.

Team: Leon Johnson (Guyana; captain), Jason Mohammed (Trinidad and Tobago vice captain), Richard Ramdeen (Guyana), Gajanand Singh (Guyana), Andre Fletcher (Grenada), Nelson Pascal (Grenada), Kemar Roach (Barbados), Javon Searles (Barbados), Shamarh Brooks (Barbados), Andre McCarthy (Jamaica), William Perkins (Trinidad and Tobago), Sunil Narine (Trinidad and Tobago), Kieron Pollard (Trinidad and Tobago), Richi Bachan (Trinidad and Tobago); Roger Harper (manager), Roddy Estwick (coach), Phyllis Burnett (physio).