Antiguan fast bowler Kelvin Pitman has earned a coveted place in the West Indies Academy Squad for a reciprocal tour of Sri Lanka, in a significant step forward for one of the region's most promising pace bowling prospects.
Pitman is part of a 16-member West Indies Academy Squad set for a reciprocal tour of Sri Lanka from June 3–27, where the team will face the Sri Lanka Emerging Players in a multi-format series designed to further strengthen the region's player development pathway.
A Player on the Rise
Pitman, who featured for the Leeward Islands in the recent Cricket West Indies Championships, has played nine List A matches, claiming eight wickets for 354 runs. The Bethesda Golden Eagles player has also played 13 First Class matches, picking up 37 wickets at an average of 25.9.
A Series with History
The reciprocal tour follows a visit by the Sri Lanka Emerging Team to Antigua in 2025, where the sides competed in two four-day matches — which ended one game apiece — and three One-Day matches, with the Academy coming out on top 2–1. Once again consisting of two four-day and three 50-over matches, this tour represents another significant investment in the development of the next generation of West Indies cricketers, offering players the opportunity to gain valuable overseas experience and adapt to challenging subcontinental conditions.
A Squad Blending Experience and Emerging Talent
The squad features a strong blend of emerging regional talent, with 13 members being regular participants in the Academy programme, including Johann Layne, Jediah Blades, and Zishan Motara, each having already represented the region at the senior level. With Ackeem Auguste selected for the West Indies Senior Team and Carlon Bowen-Tuckett unavailable for personal reasons, emerging players Kevlon Anderson, Shaqkere Parris, and Johann Jeremiah have been afforded the international developmental experience opportunity.
Coaches Set the Tone
Academy Head Coach Ramesh Subasinghe spoke to the purpose of the tour: "Our Academy objective is simple — to develop players into the next level of their careers, and tours like this play a key part in that journey. Sri Lanka has historically been one of the toughest places for West Indian teams. This tour represents the perfect platform to immerse our brightest emerging talent in conditions that will truly test and shape them."
He added that the 2025 home series against Sri Lanka in Antigua had proven its worth, with four players from that squad having since gone on to represent the West Indies senior men's team, and many others earning regional franchise and CPL opportunities.
CWI's High-Performance Manager Dwain Gill underscored the tour's broader significance: "This tour is an extremely important component of our long-term development pathway programme as we continue to invest in the future of West Indies cricket. Opportunities like these allow our emerging players to experience competitive international environments, adapt to unfamiliar conditions and further develop the technical, tactical and mental skills required at the highest level of the game."
The squad will travel to Hambantota for the four-day series before moving to Colombo for the white-ball leg of the tour, with all matches played under standard ICC playing conditions. Guyana Harpy Eagles Head Coach Ryan Hercules will join the Academy coaching staff as an Assistant Coach for the tour.
Full Squad: Rivaldo Clarke (Captain), Kevlon Anderson, Ryan Bandoo, Jediah Blades, Giovonte Depeiza, Mavendra Dindyal, Nathan Edward, Damel Evelyn, Amari Goodridge, Johann Jeremiah, Shaqkere Parris, Mbeki Joseph, Johann Layne, Zishan Motara, Kelvin Pitman, and Raneico Smith.
