ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – The first time Akeem Auguste stood at a crease, he was barely four years old. His father was the bowler. Neither of them knew that this backyard game in St. Lucia would become the defining pursuit of a life.
By twelve, love had grown into ambition. But when the young Saint Lucian was overlooked for the Windward Islands’ Under 15 side, something shifted permanently.
“I didn’t get selected, and from then on, I never wanted to get that feeling again of being left out of a team,” Auguste said. “I started to train a little harder and be more intentional with the things I was working on.”
That early disappointment could have broken him. Instead, it quietly reshaped his hunger.
On the surface, Auguste remains easy-going, carefree, even jovial. But beneath that calm exterior lives a cricketer who has learned to separate personality from performance. Over the years, experience has hardened his dedication.
Nothing tested him quite like the lead-up to the recently concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India.
In late 2025, fresh off his international debuts in both T20 and One Day formats, and already involved in franchise cricket abroad, his body betrayed him. What began as gastrointestinal-like symptoms was diagnosed as a twisted intestine, requiring emergency surgery.
“Missing out on the World Cup, I felt it,” he admitted. “It gave me some extra motivation to start back training so I can get back to where I was and even better.”
Recovery was slow. Solid food was returned in small portions. Body movements came back in increments. Months later, he stepped onto a club pitch in Antigua for his long-awaited competitive return.
Now back in action for the Windward Islands Volcanoes during the 2026 West Indies Championship, Auguste has twice scored in the nineties. The century remains elusive, but don’t expect him to dwell on it.
“If somebody told me that I would get ninety-odd twice compared to two ducks, I would take the ninety-odd,” he said. “I’m just grateful for whatever I get, and I’m going to try to learn as much as possible so I can get over that barrier.”
His advice to any young player carrying the weight of expectation is simple: “If you put in the work, trust that at the right time you will get a score because a score is around the corner. Focus more on the process and not so much the results, because eventually it will come.”
So what defines a successful season for the 22-year-old? Not runs. Not averages. Not even selection.
“Success for me is being the best person that I can be overall, whether it be in the sport of cricket or just everyday life,” Auguste said. “I want to represent myself and my family well and do the job for the team whenever it comes around.”
and then 