Haynes lands third stint with Jamaica Scorpions

FORMER JAMAICA and West Indies leg-spinner Robert Haynes was officially unveiled as the next Jamaica Scorpions head coach at a press conference at the President’s Box at Sabina Park yesterday.

Haynes, who began working on Tuesday, has stepped into the role for the third time, having first led the Jamaica team to the Commonwealth Games in Malaysia in 1998 and then held an interim head coach role back in 2019 after replacing Robert Samuels.

The former West Indies selector will have Jamaica U19 coach Terrence Corke as his assistant, with the Scorpions set to bow into action in the Super50 Cup in the coming weeks.

Haynes’ first task will be to overhaul the culture, and he has already identified one key area that needs changing.

“One of the cultures that we need to change is how we practise, because gone are the days when players come in and bat for 15-20 minutes in the nets, that is not working,” said Haynes.

The former Jamaica under-19 coach says the nation’s young cricketers will play a major part in the overhaul, as he believes they are the future of Jamaica’s cricket.

The former Kingston College and Kensington CC player says he hopes that his wealth of knowledge and his adaptation of modern philosophies will help turn around the Jamaican franchise’s fortunes.

“One of the things I will be implementing is more game-sense scenarios, and, with that, I will be requesting that players give us feedback, which will be crucial with how we move forward.”

Haynes believes including Corke will be crucial to the team’s development, as he has worked with several current Jamaica Scorpion players from the youth level.

“For us to get the best of everything, we needed to incorporate someone who has worked with the youths, and that will help to bring us to the top,” added Haynes.

The 59 year-old Haynes praised the move by the Jamaica Cricket Association to set up an elite coaching advisory board, which features Chairman of Selectors Delroy Morgan, and Talent Coaching Manager Junior Bennett.

Former Scorpions assistant coach Nikita Miller will head the new under-15 pathway coaching programme, with Milton Thomas being his deputy.

Jamaica Cricket Association president, Dr Donavon Bennett, says he is banking on the new coaching staff to deliver positive results for the franchise.

“We are looking for better results. I have known Robert for a long time and I am happy to have him and his team on board, and we will give them all the support needed to bring success.”