T Becca: Jamaica - time for a change(23 Oct 1997)

October 23, 1997

Jamaica: Time for a change

Tony Becca

CRICKET: The Red Stripe Bowl cricket tournament which ended at Kaiser on Monday was a tremendous success for the Leeward Islands - especially for their batsmen who dominated the quarter-finals, the semi-finals and the final in a manner which, had he been present, would have made Viv Richards, "The Master Blaster" from Antigua, proud of his successors.

In contrast to the Leeward Islands, it was a disappointment for Jamaica - especially for their batsmen whose performance throughout would have embarrassed the majority of their predecessors - certainly those, like Kenneth "Bam Bam" Weekes, Collie Smith and Basil Williams, who loved to hit the ball.

Unlike the Leeward Islands batsmen who exuded confidence regardless of who were bowling at them and even when they lost early wickets, Jamaica's batsmen, with the exception of Leon Garrick, never looked in command - certainly not against Trinidad and Tobago when the target was a mere 85 runs, and against Bermuda at Alpart when the bowling was no better than average.

Apart from good technique, batting is knowing when to attack and when to defend, and Jamaica, based on performance, simply did not know when to attack and when to defend - which deliveries to attack and which ones to respect.

Apart from the pre-meditated strokes which led to their downfall on so many occasions, it was as if the batsmen of Jamaica got up on some days and decided that that was the day to attack, and on other days that that was the day to defend.

Not surprisingly, the result was the same - and even though there are a few who believe otherwise, even though, as was recommended long ago, it would be better for all concerned if Rohan Kanhai were on the job day in and day out and not just for a few weeks preceding a tournament, the coach cannot be blamed for it.

The blame probably lies with the present concept in Jamaica of who is a good batsman, probably with those who select the batsmen for trials or preparation, and with the batsmen themselves - many of whom obviously lack the will to practice assiduously, some of whom lack the capacity, and the confidence, to perform at the level higher than club cricket.

Batting is scoring runs, and too many batsmen are selected for national duty because they look good - not because they have scored a lot of runs while dominating bowling. And too many are kept in the team because of the selectors' hope that one day they will perform.

Batting is self expression, and again based on their performances, the majority of those selected are timid souls - batsmen who, lacking confidence in their ability to bat, blindly attack in frustration when under pressure, or who slip into their shell the moment the ball does something unexpected or the first time they are beaten.

Look, for example, at the difference in approach of Jamaica's and that of the Leeward Islands batsmen in certain situations during the tournament.

At Melbourne Oval in the opening round, Jamaica, after losing Robert Samuels early, lost their nerve, dived to 72 for five, and but for Garrick who batted brilliantly for 41 not out, it would have been worse; and at Chedwin Park in the second round, Jamaica, after dismissing Trinidad and Tobago for 84 and starting well, struggled, on a good pitch, to 85 for seven in 33.4 overs after losing Garrick at 19 for one in the seventh over.

At Kaiser in the semi-finals, the Leeward Islands, after dismissing Jamaica for 214, powered their way to 215 for two in 38.4 overs in an exhibition during which Stuart Williams and Lanville Harrigan hammered the fast bowlers, including Courtney Walsh and Franklyn Rose, to all parts of the ground; and in the final against Guyana, despite losing the wickets of the aggressive Williams and Harrigan in the first three overs, the Leeward Islands raced to 132 for two in the 30th over on the way to 245.

The question may be asked, who are the other batsmen who should have or could have been selected? The answer, right now, is that it would not have made a difference who were selected - not when it is remembered that the other one or two in contention have been tried before with no difference in approach or performance.

When you look around however, there a few youngsters with the right approach and the confidence to go with it. What therefore, is important is that the selectors change their approach to the selection of batsmen.

The present situation is a result of what has been happening over the years. By selecting, for so long, only those who look "pretty", the selectors destroyed those who loved to hit the ball. The selectors now not only need to drop those who, regardless of past performances, do not perform - they also need to encourage those batsmen who can hit the ball, those who are not afraid to hit it, and those with the capacity to perform.

This is a lovely opportunity to do so. There are a number of vacancies in the batting order. In fact, based on recent performances, only Garrick can look in the mirror and say, "I deserve my place".

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