JCUA preparing local umpires for ICC panel
Published:Monday | August 13, 2018 | 12:00 AMRobert Bailey/Gleaner Writer
Norman Malcolm, president of the Jamaica Cricket Umpires Association, said his association has been working assiduously in an effort to prepare the country's umpires to get on the International Cricket Council (ICC) panel.
Malcolm told The Gleaner that the country currently has four upcoming umpires, including one female, who have been doing well in the region. They are Derdayne Smith, Christopher Taylor, Patrick Gustard, and Jacqueline Williams.
Malcolm added that his organisation has equipped the umpires with all the tools it considers necessary for them to make it on the ICC panel of umpires.
"They all have the quality to get there and there is also a female, Jacqueline Williams, who is destined for great things," Malcolm said.
"The future is looking great for Jamaica's umpires because they are all young umpires who have years ahead of them, so the sky is the limit," he said. "One of the things that we are going to be doing this year at our retreat, in the collaboration with Cricket West Indies, is to have umpire coach Peter Nero come and share with the group," he said.
"The Jamaica Cricket Umpires Association is doing everything in its power to give the necessary exposure for these umpires so that at the end of the day, they can be given the necessary consideration. However, in terms of who goes where, we do not have control over that," Malcolm said.
He added that Steve Bucknor was the last Jamaican umpire to work on the ICC panel, and the time has come for the country to produce another umpire on the ICC panel.
"I cannot give a timeline as to when we will have an umpire on the international panel, but, hopefully, very soon," he said.
"We are exposing them to do all the top matches in Jamaica and we are making sure that we keep communicating with them, and we make sure that they attend their training seminars regionally," Malcolm said.