CUL DE SAC--St. Maarten has another representative on a West Indies team. He is 15 year old Antonio Fernandes. The young fast bowler was selected to play in the West Indies U16 team which will tour England from August 7 to 22.
"To be honest, it really feels great to get called up to the West Indies U16 team. I'm really looking forward to it." the usually shy Fernandes told The Daily Herald. Asked if there were some people who he would like to thank, he stated, "I would like to thank my parents for keeping my head up. The team manager Shawn May and coach (Rishie) Singh. I would also like to thank Kenroy David, Colin Hamer, Michael Lewis, Mrinal Wadhwa and the rest of my Future Champs teammates but especially Kenroy for encouraging and motivating me. He's like a big brother to me. I really look up to him."
Fernandes is now only the second player from St. Maarten to play on a West Indies team, joining Keacy Carty who was the first player from the Friendly Island. Carty was instrumental in helping the West Indies U19 team in winning the Youth World Cup in Bangladesh, last year.
Fernandes who started his cricketing career in the Grassroot Initiative on Saturdays with Coach Rishie Singh was identified as fast bowling talent as early as nine years old.
The St. Maarten Vocational Training School student is on a path to a bright cricketing future with this selection to the West Indies team. While in England, the West Indies team will be hosted by the England Barmy Army Colts against whom they will be play six matches and engaged in other activities. The West Indies U16 team will also attend one day of the test match between West Indies and England at Edgbaston which begins on August 17.
Fernandes' parents Inez Fernandes and Lindslay Jones who are his number one supporters at the ground for every match were elated with the news. In an invited comment with The Daily Herald, his mom said, "We are proud. Very proud of his selection. Both myself and father are really happy for him." His mom also gave an insight into their contributions towards his cricket development, "Whatever gears I could not get from sponsors, we would buy them for him. His father usually gives him a lot of pep talks before the games."
The young cricketer has twice represented the Leeward Islands in the regional U15 tournament. Once in Guyana (2015) and then in Grenada (2016). Locally, he has been the Captain of Sundial School in the Inter-secondary School tournament and is a member of Future Champs and Caribbean General Contractors (CGC) Spartanz.
At the age of 15, Fernandes became the youngest cricketer to play St. Maarten National Team. He performed creditably at the just concluded Leeward Islands senior tournament earlier this month in Antigua.
