Neita lauds CWI for India initiative involving J’can batsmen
Published:Sunday | December 1, 2024 | 12:09 AMOrane Buchanan - Staff Reporter
JAMAICAN CRICKETERS Kirk McKenzie and Jordan Johnson are among a group of Caribbean Cricket West Indies (CWI) to be part of a seven-member team selected for a two-week specialised training camp at the Chennai Super Kings Academy in India from December 1-14.
While speaking with The Sunday Gleaner, Mark Neita, former national cricketer and president of Melbourne Cricket Club, said the camp augurs well for the future of both Jamaica’s cricket and, by extension, the region.
“I think it’s a great initiative. Also, this is something that ultimately will help West Indies cricket and specifically West Indies batsmen. It’s no secret that one of the biggest problems we have at Test cricket level is the inability of our regional batsmen to cope with the ball whenever it’s turning and bouncing from the spinner,” said Neita.
McKenzie and Jordan will be accompanied by Matthew Nandu, Kevin Wickham, Teddy Bishop, Jewel Andrew, and Ackeem Auguste. As part of their training, the players are set to feature in a two-day match and three white ball games.
According to Neita, the players are in a good territory to work on their craft as Indian cricketers are known for their technical astuteness. He added that regionally, batsmen struggle due to poor technique.
“I put this down to the lack of proper technical proficiency. Therefore, a camp like this will help our regional batsmen with that aspect of their game. If you look at Indian batsmen, one of their greatest attributes is that they’re technically sound, equipped and strong. If we, in the region, can get our batsmen to emulate some of those technical proficiencies from these Indians then that will only be good for our cricket,” he added.
Neita added that CWI’s move will help fill a void due to the lack of proper nurturing needed for young cricketers in Jamaica to fully hone their craft. He further stated that lack of sufficient coaches at the youth level is a key problem in the country.
“I think one of the deficiencies we have in Jamaica is the technique of the players. Unfortunately, we do not have coaches at all levels of our cricket. We don’t have enough certified coaches at the preparatory, high school and senior levels and that is a big issue that the Jamaica Cricket Association needs to address.
“We have players who are talented but because their technique is not of the quality that is necessary for them to perform at the highest level, once they step up and play at a higher level, they’ll always struggle.”