JCA, former player slam Scorpions’ performance in Super50
Published:Tuesday | November 14, 2023 | 12:09 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
FOLLOWING the Jamaica Scorpions’ disappointing performance in the 2023 regional Super50 tournament which saw them finishing eighth in the eight-team tournament, Courtney Francis, chief executive officer of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), says a debriefing session will be held shortly to find out what went wrong in Trinidad and Tobago.
“From a management perspective, we are very disappointed, and the players likewise. We now have to do the debriefing to get better information to see what went wrong. I’ve so far received some of the reports and I’m awaiting the coach’s report,” he stated.
The Jamaica Scorpions, the defending champions, were led on the field by West Indies T20 captain Rovman Powell and had the likes of experienced players such as Chadwick Walton, Nkrumah Bonner, Jermaine Blackwood, Fabian Allen and Sheldon Cottrell in their ranks. For Francis, this team, which had a wealth of experience, ought not to have performed the way they did, and the performance, in a nutshell, was just not good enough.
“Whether defending champions or not, you’re expected to compete and compete well. I thought we had a good chance of defending with the team we put on display. It is mind-boggling for the team to have performed as poorly as it did. I’m just waiting to have those evidence from the players and the management team and then we’ll be able to have greater public discourse from a more accurate perspective, so that the fans can be aware of what happened and how we intend to make adjustments moving forward,” Francis said.
Mark Neita, former Jamaica batsman and president of the Melbourne Cricket Club, shared that while the performance of the team was disappointing, it isn’t entirely surprising to him as the amount of cricket that is being played in Jamaica is below that of our regional counterparts.
“I’m very disappointed with the performance of the Jamaican team but I can’t say that I’m really surprised. It’s no secret that our cricket, in the last few years, has deteriorated badly. Overall, cricket in Jamaica and the amount of cricket that we play is way below par, and that is being reflected on the field,” said Neita.
The veteran cricket administrator further shared that, with less cricket being played, the development of the sport locally is being stifled.
“I can’t blame the players, as they don’t select themselves. We are playing less cricket than we’ve ever played, which includes less Senior Cup matches, one 50-over tournament, one T20 tournament, and we have no Minor Cup, no Junior Cup, and no breeding ground for the development of cricket,” Neita outlined.