The 18-year-old batter has impressed the likes of Viv Richards, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Curtly Ambrose with his skill and maturity
Deivarayan Muthu02-Jan-2025At 17, Jewel Andrew became the youngest player to feature in the CPL and then the youngest to debut for West Indies in ODI cricket. In October 2024 in Sri Lanka, he received his maiden cap from fellow Antiguan Alzarri Joseph and played under Shai Hope, whose shots he has copied from childhood.Andrew was earmarked as a future West Indies star right from his age-group days, but not many expected him to make the step up to international cricket in his teens. Things have been happening rather quickly for him. He recently celebrated his 18th birthday in Chennai, at a two-week camp for West Indies’ brightest young talents at the Chennai Super Kings Academy.Andrew has all the shots in the book, including the reverse sweep, which disrupted the local spinners in a two-day game in Chennai.”I’ve been trying the sweeps and reverse, which is a good option against spinners,” Andrew says. “In that two-day game, I actually scored 30 [runs] off reverse sweeps, so it’s working for me. I’ve been working on this type of stuff at this camp.”Related
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Andrew had also showed off his reverse sweep on his CPL debut in August last year. He picked up a Tabraiz Shamsi stock ball from the stumps and audaciously flipped it over short third during his unbeaten 50 off 30 balls for Antigua and Barbuda Falcons against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. In the lead-up to his debut, Andrew visualised nailing the shot off Shamsi.”My plan against Shamsi was to take him on,” Andrew says. “I actually planned it because he’s an experienced bowler. It was a crazy shot (laughs). I felt if I could get a boundary off him, it would be a highlight.”Andrew also nervelessly took on other internationals like Anrich Nortje and Dominic Drakes that day. He had started playing cricket from when he was four years old and was used to competing against the big boys.”I try to forget about nerves when I’m playing,” he says. “It’s just something that grew with me throughout my career so far. I try to let go of nerves and just play what I normally play because I just feel it’s another opportunity to showcase my talent. I keep playing and keep being me, and it’s working for me so far.”Andrew is still a teenager, but his temperament and maturity have impressed a number of West Indies greats, including Viv Richards and his Falcons coaches Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Curtly Ambrose. When the young batter brought up his fifty on CPL debut, Ian Bishop exclaimed on commentary: “Jewel really is a precious commodity. He could end up being one of the more valuable young players in the history of the game in the region!”ESPNcricinfo LtdRichards’ opinion of him, Andrew said made him feel good about himself. “He’s a legend of the game. They’re all legends. Hearing them speak about me is special for someone like me coming up. But the information I’ve gathered from them so far is [mostly] what I know already. In terms of just being patient and picking the right deliveries, because I have all the shots. It’s for me to pick the right one and try to extend my game and learn as much as I can, because I’m here to learn.”In his first stint with the West Indies team, Andrew learnt to balance his emotions. He initially felt that he wasn’t ready for international cricket, but a chat with Hope helped him ease into the set-up.”I told Shai I felt I didn’t belong here because it seems a bit rushed, I was nervous being in Sri Lanka” Andrew says. “He was talking to me about emotions and time management. Shai is big on time management and I’m just keen to learn more from him.”Andrew first met Hope in 2023, when he was a flag bearer for the start of the home ODI series between West Indies and England. His ultimate goal is to emulate Hope and have a long, decorated West Indies career, just like his hero.”Just talking to Shai makes me feel good. I watched him growing up,” he says. “Just sharing the dressing room with him is a special feeling. I don’t want to be a player who is around for just one or two tours; I want to be playing for West Indies for a long time and hopefully average 50 like Shai.”
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But while Andrew is learning to balance his emotions on the field, he doesn’t manage it easily when asked about the role of his mother and brother in his life. Veronique Hill, a single parent, earned her income from a store that sold bags, and although it was not enough to afford everything her boys needed, she kept encouraging them to play cricket.”Seeing my mom cheering me on at home in Antigua in the CPL made me cry,” Andrew says. “And just having her support is something that anyone would want to have. When I got the West Indies call-up, I was coming back home from the CPL. I cried instantly because it’s something I always wanted for me and my family. I landed and hugged my mom, she knew [of the news].”And it was because of my brother [Hilroy] I’m playing as a right-hand batter. I actually started playing left-handed in the backyard and changed because of him. Seeing me at this level really means a lot to him because it’s something he wants to do as well. So it’s just for me to keep inspiring him and working towards that. I also want to play with him one day.”Andrew also credits the West Indies Academy for its role in his growth. In mid-2024, he toured Ireland with the Academy team and played two List A and two first-class games against the Ireland Emerging side. In the second List A fixture, in Bready, he hit 143 off 141 balls, with 90 of those coming in boundaries. Andrew isn’t currently contracted to the academy, but Cricket West Indies saw the Chennai camp as an opportunity to expose him to a variety of spin on red- and black-soil pitches. He also kept wicket to almost every type of spin, including mystery spin during the camp.”I think it [West Indies Academy] is a very good initiative for young players like myself,” Andrew said. “I’ve been around the set-up; I’ve actually improved my game a lot. I’ve been on a tour to Ireland where we’ve actually been challenged in tough conditions with a swinging ball that we don’t normally get back home. Just being around the academy set-up was a big step up for me. It’s also my duty to transfer information as well to the other younger players.”Andrew ended 2024 with a bagful of memories and takeaways, and some gifts from Chennai for his beloved family, knowing the world is his oyster.
