T Becca: Jamaica - Cricket is its own enemy (2 Jun 1998)

2 June 1998

Cricket is its own enemy

Tony Becca

For many years, the state of Jamaica's cricket has been the concern of cricket fans around the island. It has now pased that. Cricket is in such bad shape that its fans are praying for its survival.

Once the most popular sport in the country, cricket is now struggling, participation is not what it used to be, spectator support is something of the past, and unless something is done about it, the time will come when it will be a poor relation - especially to track and field and football.

According to many, and especially those involved with the administration of the game, cricket is suffering because of the new-found love affair with a sport like basketball - a situation which they claim stems from the diet of the sport on local television.

In some respects that is so. The fact however, is that cricket is killing itself, and unless those administering it admit it and do something about it there will not be the bright tomorrow of which so many speak - not even with the talent of young batsmen like Ricardo Powell, Marlon Samuels, Tamar Lambert, Donovan Pagon, and Durale Forrest.

Thanks to the Carib Cement Primary and All-Age competitions and to some devoted old boys in a few of the technical, comprehensive and high schools, although it is not what it was in the good old days, cricket in the schools is showing signs of a revival and in the process parading some promising young teenagers.

The role of the clubs and parishes is important in their development however, and especially as far as some of the parishes are concerned, unfortunately they are not playing their part.

As talented as a number of the country's teenagers are, development depends to a large extent on environment, atmosphere, and motivation, and although there are those who are making an effort, a number of the parishes have failed the game in these areas - so much so that they do not deserve to be participating in the all-island competitions organised by the Jamaica Cricket Board of Control, not because they are weak but because of their approach to the game.

A club or a parish which is poorly organised can hardly be expected to provide, not only the facilities but also the environment, the atmosphere and the motivation to assist the development of young players and although the all-island competitions started back in 1990, too many of the rural teams still fall short of what is expected of teams participating in the country's top competitions.

Last Saturday at Monymusk, for example, there were football goal posts on the field at which one of the all-island limited-over matches were played, the match started 45 minutes late because the pitch was not ready for play, the home team started the match with nine players, the home team had to borrow wicketkeeping gear from the visiting team, and if all that was not bad enough, the home team started scoring on a sheet from the visiting team's scorebook.

It was not surprising that the visiting team won the match comfortably.

Cricket is suffering, not only because of the rise of other sports, not only because of cost, but also because of the lack of leadership at the club level, at the parish level, and at the national level.

The clubs and the parishes need to serve the game, to protect its image, and to provide the environment for the development of players. The Board needs to set standards for those who participate in its competitions and to insist on those standards - either that or the game will continue to lose its appeal.

Source :: The Jamaica Gleaner (https://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/)