Warwickshire sign 18-year-old 'New Jofra Archer' - Che Simmons

Warwickshire County Cricket Club awarded Barbadian teenager Che Simmons a three-year contract after his first trial at the club last summer.

Simmons, born and raised in Barbados, was recommended to Warwickshire's director of sport, Paul Farbrace, by former West Indies all-rounder Ottis Gibson and was offered a place in their academy after making a good impression by performing for Warwickshire's 2nd XI as a trialist. 

Speaking of the Barbados-born cricketer, Warwickshire's director of cricket, Paul Farbrace, said,

"Che was recommended to me by Ottis Gibson around 18 months ago. He subsequently trialled, and we were very impressed by his potential. He's gone on to work incredibly hard with our coaches, and we think that he could have a very long and successful career with Warwickshire and potentially England."

Che has represented Barbados U15 in the past and came into the limelight when he took all ten wickets in an innings while playing for the Franklyn Stephenson Academy. 

He went to Combermere School, which has a rich history of producing top cricket players. The likes of current West Indies Test Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and Chris Jordan also studied in that school.  

Chris Jordan and Jofra Archer are two big names in the recent past to have opted out for England instead of staying back, representing Barbados and the West Indies. With Che Simmons, there is another young Barbadian in Jacob Bethell at Warwickshire, regarded as the best young player at the club since Ian Bell.

"The Academy is attracting some of the most promising young cricketers from around the world. Producing our own and developing players to play for England are two of our core cricketing principals, and, alongside Che, we're very excited about the potential of many other young cricketers within our pathway," former England's assistant coach Farbrace said.  

The academy's recent tour to Sri Lanka changed things for Simmons. He adapted to the conditions very well, bowled hostile spells with the ball and contributed with the bat and fielding as well.

"Che has made an incredible transformation over the winter," said Warwickshire High-Performance Manager Paul Greetham. "It's a challenge for any young sportsman or woman to come into a new culture and to understand the step up to a high-performance environment. But with the support of many good people around him, Che has shone."

Che Simmons holds a UK passport through his father and will qualify for England on residency grounds in 2024. The young fast bowler has been titled the "new Jofra Archer" and is expected to play for England in the future.