FORMER youth players Zeniffe Fowler and Yannick Elliott have been drafted into the Jamaica 13-man squad to replace the experienced duo of batsman Danza Hyatt and left-arm bowler Krishmar Santokie, for the start of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Super50 tournament.

Hyatt and Santokie, who represented Jamaica in the just-concluded Caribbean Twenty20 (CT20) competition, both opted to play in the second staging of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

Fowler, a Manchester CA top-order batsman, has never represented Jamaica at the senior level, despite being on the cusp of national selection for several seasons.

All-rounder Elliott, who plays for Melbourne CC on the local circuit, has also endured a long period on the fringes and finally broke into the national starting XI during the CT20 championships.

The title-holders Jamaica will open their campaign against Barbados at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown on February 7.

Chairman of selectors Courtney Daley, while accepting that the seasoned pair will be missed, said he is “satisfied” with Fowler and Elliott as replacements.

“The absence of these players would have an impact on the squad because of their experience. But I think with the quality pool of players that we have, we can still be effective and have some of the younger players stepping up.

“I’m satisfied with the replacements… When we (selection panel) looked at it we thought these players would do justice. They have been around a couple years now. Yannick represented us in the T20 and Zeniffe has been knocking on the door and this is an opportune time to get his break,” Daley said.

Jamaica, who won the previous 50-overs championship which was held in late 2011, will also be without powerful left-hander Christopher Gayle and exciting all-rounder Andre Russell. Both are part of the regional squad to tour Australia next month.

West Indies middle-order batsman Marlon Samuels, who is nursing an eye injury suffered in the Australian Big Bash League, was not considered.

SQUAD — Tamar Lambert, Simon Jackson, Nkrumah Bonner, Zeniffe Fowler, Andre McCarthy, Jermaine Blackwood, Carlton Baugh,David Bernard, Yannick Elliott, Nikita Miller, Odean Brown, Andrew Richardson, Sheldon Cotterell.

Coach: Junior Bennett

Manager: Donovan Senior

Physical trainer: David Bernard (Snr)