UWI Alumni Make Historic Debut on Windies Cricket Team

The University of the West Indies (The UWI) is celebrating the debut of former student cricketers Amir Jangoo and Jediah Blades on the West Indies Men’s Cricket Team. The duo, who first received their regional exposure by representing The UWI on the Combined Campuses and Colleges first-class and List A cricket teams, later progressed to play for their national teams. They were selected to participate in the third and final One-Day International (ODI) against Bangladesh, which took place at Warner Park in St. Kitts on Thursday, December 12.

Amir Jangoo, attended The UWI St. Augustine Campus and graduated with a BSc in Environmental and Natural Resource Management. He scored 104 runs (not out), becoming only the second Windies player in history to hit a century on his ODI debut. The 27-year-old left-handed wicketkeeper-batter’s remarkable performance follows that of the legendary Desmond Haynes, who scored 148 runs on his ODI debut in 1978 against Australia. Jangoo’s contributions led the West Indies to victory over Bangladesh, achieving a 3-0 series sweep while successfully chasing a target of 322 runs—the highest successful run chase at that venue.

Before joining the senior regional team, Jangoo, who played for the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in the recently concluded regional Super50 tournament, represented Combined Campuses and Colleges and the UWI Vice Chancellor’s XI during his time at The UWI. His talent was also recognised at the University where he was a finalist for the Vice-Chancellor’s Sportsman of the Year Award in 2020. Jangoo’s brilliant debut on the Windies Cricket Team led to him earning the title of “Player of the Match.”

Jediah Blades, attended The UWI’s Cave Hill Campus and graduated with a BSc in Management with a concentration in HR. The left-arm medium pacer who previously played for the West Indies Academy, West Indies Championship XI, and Combined Campuses and Colleges teams, also during the Super50 tournament. The Cave Hill Campus acknowledged his accomplishments as a student cricketer in 2022, particularly for his performance with the UWI A team, which won the 2022 Barbados Cricket Academy T20 Cup title.

Despite having only one year of professional experience, the 22-year-old received his debut call-up with the West Indies for the ODI against Bangladesh, during which he bowled five overs.

Commenting on the selection and performance of the two former UWI students, Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles stated, “The UWI celebrates student cricketers who have distinguished themselves at the international level, bringing their academic training to bear on the field of performance in unique ways. Mr Jangoo has shown his brilliance and now has a distinguished career ahead of him as an international cricketer. The UWI is honoured to have been an enabler in his remarkable trajectory.”

Project Officer for The UWI Faculty of Sport and Coordinator of the CCC, Daren Ganga stated, “Amir Jangoo and Jediah Blades have inspired the current pool of student cricketers and thrown the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) concept into the spotlight. I congratulate both gentlemen on their ascension to the West Indies Men’s Senior Team. We must also celebrate the excellence shown by Jangoo on his ODI debut; I am happy for him and his family. These two players add to the long assembly line of CCC players who have matriculated to international cricket. Student cricketers with more star power.”