Saint Lucia ready to ignite new era of cricket with Volcanoes

The relocation of the Windward Islands Volcanoes professional cricket franchise to Saint Lucia has been long in coming, Clement Marcellin, president of the Windward Islands Cricket Board (WICB), said on Friday. He spoke at Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, where WICB and Saint Lucia’s Department of Youth Development & Sports signed a memorandum of understanding to make the move official, starting October 1. Sports minister Kenson Casimir x SLNCA president Wayne Auguste (Photo credit: Terry Finisterre) The Volcanoes began in 2014, just before the first Cricket West Indies professional season. Since then, they have been based in Dominica, Grenada and most recently, St Vincent & the Grenadines. Marcellin credits Wayne Auguste, president of the Saint Lucia National Cricket Association, for making the move to Saint Lucia possible.

“It was not the first time or the second time it’s been offered that Saint Lucia would host,” Marcellin revealed. “But when you have brave leaders, people who are unafraid of uncertainty and will really put their best effort towards getting it done, it’s what makes life worth living. (Photo credit: Terry Finisterre) “And I want to publicly congratulate Wayne for taking that bold stance, grabbing the opportunity. Because I believe Saint Lucia has a lot to offer in the advancement of Windward Islands cricket, and by doing so, contribute significantly to West Indies cricket. ” The cricket chief praised the Saint Lucia government, saying there is a “clear bias towards the advancement of youth through sports”. He also noted that professional coaches and players will now be able to work with students and players at the Saint Lucia Cricket High Performance Centre, most of whom are already on the Windwards pathway. (Photo credit: Terry Finisterre) Auguste…