Young Saint Lucian cricketing talent is being backed for success at the highest level by Minister for Youth Development and Sports, Kenson Casimir.
A former national athlete, Casimir believes that the next generation of players shows real potential to thrive in the professional game.
During the 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL), in addition to veteran Johnson Charles, who leads the Saint Lucia Kings with 366 runs, two up-and-coming Saint Lucian players have made a significant impact.
Talented top-order batsman Ackeem Auguste has consistently performed for the Saint Lucia Kings for most of the tournament, delivering multiple game-steadying innings throughout the games played.
The 21-year-old joined the Kings’ setup as one of the 12 emerging players across the six franchises.
With 128 runs from eight innings, he is expected to be among the candidates for the Emerging Player of the Tournament award.
Additionally, 26-year-old all-rounder Shadrack Descartes has excelled in key moments.
Descartes’ effective medium pace, potential as a power hitter, and exceptional fielding have all been highlighted as valuable assets in the shorter formats of the game.
Although he has yet to see the field this season, Pacer McKenny Clarke is also a fixture in the Kings setup. He is seen as one of the most promising youth talents in the region.
Commenting on the players’ performances, Minister Casimir expressed confidence that they can contribute to a title-winning season for the Saint Lucia-based franchise.
“Ackeem Auguste and Shadrack Descarte have both been performing very well in this year’s CPL,” Casimir said. “In fact, [the Kings] are doing very, very well, and we expect to bring that trophy home to complete a very successful and historic year for Saint Lucia.”
Casimir acknowledged some reservations about introducing Auguste to the T20 format so early in his career. The left-hand batsman is generally a touch player, contrasting with the power-hitting typically associated with T20 cricket.
Despite this, Casimir was pleasantly surprised by the maturity Auguste had shown so far.
“We had several discussions about whether Ackeem Auguste should be introduced to T20 cricket so early,” he explained. “However, the level of skill he has displayed—his patience and application on difficult wickets—has been above his age and maturity. He’s been performing exceptionally well.”
The Minister believes that Auguste can play his natural game and help reduce dot-ball percentages for the Kings and other teams he represents.
This issue has been a point of concern, which Kings and West Indies Head Coach Daren Sammy has highlighted as something that needs to be addressed across the region.
“We want to give him the opportunity to see if he can press on and use his technique—not necessarily to hit sixes but to rotate the strike, score boundaries, and keep the scoreboard ticking,” Casimir noted.
“This is a very integral part of the game that he needs to develop, but his growth has been remarkable.”
The Government of Saint Lucia has collaborated with the National Cricket Association to create the High-Performance Centre, where young cricketers have access to specialized coaching and exposure to competition.
The Kings will be hoping that both Auguste and Descarte can continue to contribute to their continued success as they strive for their inaugural CPL title.
