Descarte, Auguste Among Protected Players

Two of Saint Lucia’s exciting young cricketers have been confirmed for inclusion in the highly anticipated West Indies Breakout League. Shadrack Descarte and Ackeem Auguste were among seven protected players for the Windward Islands Infernos, ahead of the upcoming player draft.

Descarte and Auguste both played a part in the first-ever Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League title for the Saint Lucia Kings last year. Auguste appeared in 11 matches, whilst Descarte played five. Along with dozens of fellow West Indies hopefuls, they will hope to kick on in this new domestic-only T20 franchise league, which will cater to relatively inexperienced players under the age of 30. 

Descarte, 27, is a left-handed batter and right-arm medium pacer from Mon Repos. In 11 career T20 fixtures, he has amassed 86 runs at an average of 9.55, a high score of 43, and four wickets at a 29.75 average. Auguste plays for Central Castries, in the role of top-order left-hand batter and leg-break bowler. His 15 T20s have returned 156 runs, a high score of 35 not out, and a 17.33 average. 

As per tournament regulations, each team is allowed to protect seven cricketers, with a maximum of three players aged between 27 and 29. The remaining seven players per squad will be selected during the draft, and they must all be 26 years old or younger. Recognising their importance to the T20 game, CWI has also mandated that one of the protected seven players must be a leg spinner.

To maintain the league’s focus on emerging talent, all players must also have limited professional experience, defined as having played fewer than 40 List A T20 matches and fewer than 10 International T20s.

The 2025 West Indies Breakout League takes place from April 25th to May 10th, featuring 17 matches, all hosted at the prestigious Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad & Tobago. The Windwards have also protected Darel Cyru, Shamar Springer, Alick Athanaza, Dillon Douglas, and Teddy Bishop.

The West Indies Breakout League is a premier T20 cricket tournament designed to spotlight emerging talent from across the Caribbean. The league will feature teams representing the six territorial boards that comprise Cricket West Indies: Barbados Pelicans, Guyana Rainforest Rangers, Jamaica Titans, Leeward Islands Thunder, Trinidad & Tobago Legions and the Windward Islands Infernos.

Players eligible to participate must be under 30 years old or at the start of the tournament, have played fewer than 40 List A T20 matches and fewer than 10 international T20s, ensuring a focus on developing new talent. Each team is closely affiliated with a Caribbean Premier League (CPL) franchise, providing players with an opportunity to showcase their skills on a larger stage and progress their cricketing careers.