TL;DR
Get sports gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
ESPN profiled 19-year-old West Indies batter Jewel Andrew during the ODI tour of India, charting his rise from Leeward Islands cricket at 16 to becoming the youngest man to play an ODI for the West Indies. His international record so far is modest — two ducks in three ODI innings — but he retains the backing of head coach Daren Sammy and batting coach Floyd Reifer.
Jewel Andrew, the 19-year-old West Indies batter who became the youngest man to play an ODI for the West Indies at 17, is working to convert an unusually early rise into senior international runs, according to a profile published by ESPNcricinfo on September 29 during West Indies’ ODI tour of India. The piece details how a player long accustomed to being the youngest in every squad is now confronting the toughest stage of his career, with two ducks in three ODI innings and a top score of eight.
Andrew’s junior credentials are extensive. According to ESPN, he was playing senior cricket for Leeward Islands at 16, had a run of five successive centuries in school cricket, and made 130 off 96 balls against South Africa in his first innings at the 2024 Under-19 World Cup. He has played two Under-19 World Cups, franchise cricket and senior internationals, all while still a teenager.
His introduction to the game came early, though not by design. At around four years old, while watching his older brother play, Andrew retrieved a ball hit for six and threw it back well enough for a coach to invite him to train with older children. His mother sold handbags for a living, and ESPN reports that club members helped with cricket equipment when money was tight.
The step up to senior internationals has been harder. Beyond the modest returns with the bat, Andrew told ESPNcricinfo that the “gruesome training days” and quick turnarounds between games were things he was not prepared for, and that facing fast bowler Alzarri Joseph in early net sessions — with balls climbing toward neck height — was a stark reminder of the jump in standard. In five T20Is, he averages 15.60 at a strike rate of less than 100, according to the report.
Why the West Indies Are Backing Him
Andrew’s development matters because West Indies cricket has invested in him as a core player for the future. ESPN reports he has been “handpicked as one for the future” with the backing of head coach Daren Sammy and batting coach Floyd Reifer. His current window in the side has opened through an injury to all-rounder Justin Greaves, giving him a chance to establish himself on a challenging tour of India.
The profile also suggests opponents already take him seriously. Andrew said he realised he had the potential for the big stage when he spotted opposition coaches exchanging information about his batting during international games — an indication, in his own reading, that his aggressive but controlled game commands planning at the highest level. That is his interpretation, not an independent assessment, but it reflects the reputation he built at age-group level.
From Antigua Schoolyards to World Cups
Andrew’s name, ESPN reports, came from his mother, who had a difficult pregnancy and considered him her precious baby after he arrived two weeks overdue. Cricket followed soon after, partly to keep him and his brother away from the “bad stuff” in their neighbourhood.
His senior breakthrough came quickly. In 2023, he was a flag bearer during West Indies’ home ODI series against England, where he met Shai Hope, the batter he had grown up admiring. Within a year, Andrew was playing international cricket with Hope as his captain. He has previously spoken about wanting to average 50 like Hope, and the two now discuss how to get there.
Preparation for subcontinent conditions also predates this tour: Andrew spent two weeks in Chennai at the end of 2024 with other young West Indies batters, training against different types of spin on red- and black-soil pitches. “I didn’t know I could play as many shots as I could,” he told ESPNcricinfo.
“I think he’s quite above the rest for his age. He’s my favourite winger — fast, agile and he just scores every time he gets a ball.”
— Jewel Andrew, speaking to ESPNcricinfo
Unanswered Questions About His Ceiling
It is not yet clear whether Andrew’s early international returns reflect a temporary adjustment period or a longer-term gap between age-group and senior cricket. His sample size at the top level remains small — three ODI innings and five T20Is — so judgments about his long-term suitability are premature.
The ESPN profile does not specify how long Greaves is expected to be sidelined, or how many opportunities Andrew will receive in the remainder of the India series. Andrew’s own view that opposition planning for his batting signals he belongs at this level is personal interpretation rather than a verified assessment of his readiness.
The India Series as Testing Ground
Andrew’s immediate focus is making the most of his opportunity during the remainder of the ODI series in India, where he was dismissed first ball in the opening match in Thiruvananthapuram. His stated priority is starting innings better, using the guidance from Hope and the largely mental work done with batting coach Floyd Reifer, which Andrew says has “calmed him down a bit.”
He has also framed a more flexible approach to scoring: recognising that a 30 can be struck off 15 balls when momentum allows, or built more slowly against stronger attacks or on slower pitches. Whether that adaptability translates into runs against India’s bowling, and whether he retains his place once Greaves returns from injury, will shape the next phase of his international career.
Key Questions
Who is Jewel Andrew?
A 19-year-old West Indies batter from the Leeward Islands who became the youngest man to play an ODI for the West Indies at 17. He has also played two Under-19 World Cups and franchise cricket.
How has Jewel Andrew performed in international cricket so far?
Modestly. According to ESPNcricinfo, he has two ducks and a top score of eight in three ODI innings, and averages 15.60 at a strike rate below 100 in five T20Is.
Why is Jewel Andrew in the West Indies squad for the India tour?
ESPN reports his opportunity has come about through an injury to Justin Greaves, and he has the backing of head coach Daren Sammy and batting coach Floyd Reifer, who have identified him as one for the future.
What is Jewel Andrew working on improving?
He told ESPNcricinfo he is focused on starting innings better, giving himself time at the crease before batting in his natural aggressive style — advice he has taken from captain Shai Hope. Work with Floyd Reifer has been “mostly mental rather than physical.”
What did Jewel Andrew achieve at age-group level?
He played senior cricket for Leeward Islands at 16, hit five successive centuries in school cricket, and scored 130 off 96 balls against South Africa in his first innings at the 2024 Under-19 World Cup.
Source: google-trends
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
