Head of the Jamaica Cricket Association selection panel, Junior Bennett, said it was difficult to come up with the right combination, as the Jamaica Scorpions named their 15-man squad for the Super50 limited-overs tournament, which bowls off in Antigua on February 9.
The squad, which will be captained once again by Rovman Powell will be without two of their main batters, John Campbell and Jermaine Blackwood. Due to senior West Indies duties, both players will only be available for the semi-finals, if necessary.
With the absence of Campbell and Blackwood, the bulk of the batting will rest on the shoulders of captain Powell, along with West Indies white ball players Brandon King and Andre McCarthy.
Former captain Paul Palmer Jr is also expected to factor heavily among the runs along with all-rounder Fabian Allen and rookie wicketkeeper batsman Romaine Morris, who represented the Combined Campuses and Colleges last season.
For Bennett, the task of picking a competitive team was arduous. However, he is expecting the squad to be competitive at the tournament, where they will face the likes of Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, the Windward Islands Volcanoes, the Barbados Pride and the Leeward Islands Hurricanes.
“Each territory had to deal with their respective protocols surrounding the pandemic and because we didn’t get the go-ahead from the Ministry of Health & Wellness, we were not able to play any practice games. Having said that, I think we have enough experience in the squad to be competitive,” said Bennett.
Since the pandemic, the Jamaica Scorpions have had little or no cricket, with the squad only being able to practise in groups of six and sometimes four, in scaled-down net sessions.
The Jamaican franchise will, however, be banking on the experience of their bowling unit to get them through the tournament.
They will be relying heavily on the likes of West Indies player Sheldon Cottrell, vice-captain Derval Green and the spin department consisting of Allen, Jamie Merchant, Dennis Billi, Jeavor Royal and Javelle Glenn.
The Scorpions are scheduled to arrive in Antigua on February 4 before they open their campaign against the T&T Red Force in a Day and Night match on February 9.
Tournament Schedule
• Tue-9-Feb-2021 Jamaica Scorpions v T&T Red Force (D/N)
• Mon-15-Feb-2021 Windward Volcanoes v Jamaica Scorpions
• Thu-18-Feb-2021 Barbados Pride v Jamaica Scorpions
• Sun-21-Feb-2021 Leeward Islands Hurricanes v Jamaica Scorpions
• Wed-24-Feb-2021 Semi-Final 1 (D/N) 5th v 6th
• Thu-25-Feb-2021 Semi-Final 2 (D/N) Rest/Practice
• Sat-27-Feb-2021 Final (D/N)
Super50 Squad
• Rovman Powell (captain)• Derval Green - V/ capt• Aldaine Thomas• Oshane Thomas• Brandon King• Paul Palmer• Fabian Allen• Jamie Merchant• Jeavor Royal• Odean Smith• Sheldon Cottrell• Dennis Bulli• Javelle Glenn• Romaine Morris• Andre McCarthy.