FORMER West Indies left-handed batsman Robert Samuels has been appointed coach of the National U-19 team, according to Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) secretary Ian Brown.

Brown told the Observer Samuels’ selection was confirmed recently at the JCA’s last meeting.

“Robert Samuels is in charge of the U-19s now and this was confirmed at our last Board meeting,” he said.

Samuels, 39, played six Test matches between 1996-1997 and averaged a respectable 37.20, including a century against a rampant Australian team in his last series for the West Indies.

Brown said Samuels, who holds a West Indies Cricket Board Level II Coaching Certificate, is expected to build on the success of previous teams which represented the country at the youth level.

“With the talent around the island and the programmes that we have in place, we’re expecting him to do well as coach. He has inherited a system that has brought great success to Jamaica. We still have (James) Jimmy Adams as our technical director… and he has input in all programmes,” he added.

The U-19 coaching position became vacant as the previous head coach, Andre Coley, was officially named on the coaching staff at the Sagicor West Indies High Performance Centre.

Coley guided the Jamaica youth team to victory in the regional three-day and limited-over competitions last year.

The former Jamaica wicketkeeper/batsman also guided the West Indies U-19 team to a third-place finish at the 2010 Youth World Cup in New Zealand.

The Jamaica team is expected to leave for St Lucia on July 6 to defend their titles and Adams believes the team has to move on despite a few glitches in preparations.

“We’re going to resume the camp this weekend and though we lost out (on time) last weekend, we have to move on. We have missed out on practice time, but we have to get ready and make up for it,” he said, while adding that the 20-man squad will be cut to 14 by next week.

Aside from the recent upsurge in violence which has forced the Government to implement a limited State of Emergency in sections of the corporate area, preparations were dented when fire burnt out a section of Sabina Park where the team was being housed.

U-19 training squad: Paul Palmer Jnr, Jermaine Blackwood, John Campbell, Kemar Marshall, Ramon Senior, Peat Salmon, Kemar Foster, Brian Gayle, Oraine Williams, Vaneil Bromfield, Hanchard Hamilton, Mickel Francis, Terrence West, Omar Samuels, Nicholson Gordon, Damion Reid, Cassius Burton, Donovan Nelson, Horane Linton and Coi Thompson.