CEO of the Jamaica Cricket Association, Courtney Francis.
From 2008-2012, Jamaica dominated red-ball cricket in the Caribbean, winning five consecutive Regional Four-Day titles. This feels like centuries ago.
In the recently concluded 2022/23 season of the West Indies Championship, the Scorpions failed to win a single game, finishing last with 25.6 points after recording four losses and a draw in five matches. This was following a fifth-place finish in the 2021-22 season.
The team was especially poor with the bat, scoring the second-lowest amount of runs in total in the season with 1803.
Individually, only two batsmen, Abhijai Mansingh with 248 and Leroy Lugg with 217, scored over 200 runs for the Scorpions. To put it in perspective, Alick Athanaze of the Windward Islands Hurricanes finished as top run-scorer with 647, 182 more runs than Jamaica’s two highest run-scorers combined.
It begs the question, what on earth has happened to the Scorpions batting in the longer format of the game?
“Aggression without proper selection and lack of a desire to bat long are two things that jumped out at me,” Jamaica Cricket Association CEO Courtney Francis told SportsMax.TV.
“The pride of playing for country, I am not seeing it. Even in dialogue with them, I don’t think they have an appreciation for what the sport has done for us as a people,” Francis added.
The Scorpions did start the year well, however, by winning the Regional Super50, their first since 2012 but, as Francis explains, that may have been detrimental to their hopes in the longer format.
“A significant number of the players who played that tournament were unavailable to play the 4-day tournament. We had persons playing at the highest level or playing all over the world,” he said.
“The significant influx of white-ball cricket,” is another reason for Jamaica’s downward spiral in the red-ball game according to Francis.
“If you notice, our players aren’t batting an extended number of overs. Some games are ending with a day to spare,” Francis added.
He went further, analysing a technical flaw he saw throughout the line-up.
“It seems like whenever the ball is bouncing, our batsmen don’t seem to cope with it properly. I am very confident that they would have had enough training. They’ve had the facilities here at Sabina Park and elsewhere,” he said.
Another contributing factor highlighted by Francis is the weakness of the Island’s premier two-day competition, the Senior Cup.
“Our Senior Cup competition is not competitive enough. In the Senior Cup, when certain teams play against certain teams, you might get a competitive game which is commendable but, there are a significant number of instances where games finish within a day and we’re not going anywhere with that. The transition from Senior Cup to first-class is not it,” said Francis before offering up a potential solution to that problem.
“In my view, we need to have a tier higher than the Senior Cup. I’ve recommended that we have the best 60 players in the country playing a four-team competition. You can hold trials to see who can get up there,” Francis added.
Francis then took issue with the complacency of contracted players, noting that their desire to improve seemingly dwindled after being rewarded.
“Persons who are on contracts now seem to not want to work hard enough because the contract is set for one year. If you notice, we have 15 persons on contract and of those 15 persons, maybe 40% of them did not feature in the Super50 and/or the West Indies Championship. That is something for us to take a different look at,” Francis said
“We can understand that persons are contracted from July so people may lose form and others come in for pay-for-play and stuff but that percentage is too high.
As selectors, coaches and administrators we have to come up with a different mechanism to ensure that we do not waste money. If you look at the numbers of a number of the players, we’re not getting a return on our investment” he added before noting that shorter term, incentive-based contracts may be the way forward to return Jamaica to winning ways in the longest format.
Bradley Jacks is a budding journalist and an avid sports fan. His love of research and sports has led him to SportsMax.tv, a place where those passions work hand in hand to allow him to produce content.
Birthday boy Sunil Narine becomes IPL's MVP for a record third time after KKR's triumph
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Sunil Narine was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Indian Premier League 2024, marking a historic third time he has won the prestigious award. The former West Indies cricketer played a pivotal role in KKR's emphatic victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL final on Sunday, May 26, when he celebrated his 36th birthday.
Narine's stellar performance throughout the season was a key factor in KKR's success. He scored 488 runs at an average of 37.07 and an impressive strike rate of 179.85. With the ball, the 36-year-old off-spinner took 17 wickets, maintaining an economy rate of 6.90. Additionally, his fielding contributions were significant, with seven catches and three run-outs.
"The feeling is overwhelming and I couldn't have asked for a better birthday gift. I am enjoying my cricket at the moment -- batting, bowling and fielding. What helps is when the team is winning," Narine said after receiving the MVP award.
Narine's overall performance earned him 431.5 MVP points, putting him well ahead of second-placed Virat Kohli (315.5 points) and third-placed Travis Head (274 points). The Trinidadian previously clinched the award in 2012 and 2018. He is also the first player to win the IPL MVP three times.
The MVP award, formerly known as the Player of the Tournament, was renamed in 2013. It is awarded based on a player's performance across various metrics, including runs, wickets, boundaries, catches, run-outs, and dot balls. The calculation is as follows: 3.5 points for each wicket and six hit, 2.5 points for each boundary, catch, run-out, and stumping, and one point for each dot ball bowled.
Narine’s unprecedented third MVP win highlights his all-around abilities and consistency over the years, cementing his status as one of the IPL’s greatest players. As KKR celebrates their triumph, Narine’s remarkable season stands as a testament to his enduring skill and dedication to the game.
Buttler to miss England's third T20 with Pakistan for birth of child
Jos Buttler will miss England's third T20 against Pakistan in Cardiff on Tuesday, with his wife due to give birth.
The skipper has left the squad to be with wife Louise for the birth of their third child.
Buttler produced an inspired performance in the second T20 at Edgebaston on Saturday, with his contribution of 84 from 54 deliveries helping the hosts to a 23-run victory.
The 33-year-old's knock, which included eight fours and three sixes, marked the second-highest score by an England captain in a T20I, behind Eoin Morgan's 91 against New Zealand in 2019.
However, the hosts will have to make do without their white-ball skipper in Cardiff, while he could potentially miss the fourth T20 at The Oval on Thursday and some matches at the T20 World Cup, which begins on Sunday.
Moeen Ali will captain England in Buttler's absence, with either Phil Salt or Jonny Bairstow set to deputise as wicketkeeper.
England will begin the defence of their T20 World Cup title against Scotland in the Caribbean on June 4.
ICC extends partnership with FanCraze to launch Web3 fantasy game
The International Cricket Council (ICC) and FanCraze on Monday announced a multi-year partnership extension marking a significant milestone in the evolution of digital fan engagement with the launch of exciting new products during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
The announcement also detailed the upcoming launch of ICC Crictos SuperTeam, a Web3 fantasy game featuring officially licensed ICC digital video collectibles. With SuperTeam, fans will be able to build fantasy teams using their ICC Crictos and compete in contests to win amazing rewards on a daily basis, week after week proving their cricket nous to the world.
The exciting partnership will build on the success of ICC Crictos over the past two years which has provided opportunities for new and existing fans to engage with men’s and women’s cricket. ICC Crictos transformed the way fans experience the sport, providing them with exclusive digital video collectibles that celebrate the greatest moments in cricket history, from iconic match-winning sixes to unforgettable performances by the world’s best players.
Through unique activations such as gifting special ICC Crictos to fans that attended the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 and exclusive behind-the-scenes experiences, ICC Crictos have brought supporters closer to the action than ever before. Events like the ICC Quiz Night and ICC Stadium Tours have further enriched the fan experience, offering enthusiasts the chance to meet their heroes and participate in engaging activities that celebrate the spirit of cricket.
ICC Head of Digital, Finn Bradshaw, said: “We are delighted to unveil ICC Crictos SuperTeam and offer cricket fans around the world a new and innovative gameplay experience for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. We are excited to enter a new era of digital engagement, using innovative technology to deepen fan interaction and grow the sport on a global scale. Signing up will give fans the chance to be closer to the game than ever before and be a part of the biggest cricket carnival spectacle ever, from anywhere in the world.”
FanCraze Co-Founder and CEO, Anshum Bhambri, said: “The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is a truly global competition and has been the home to so many iconic moments and players over the last 15+ years. As cricket fans ourselves, the launch of SuperTeam is something we’ve dreamt of since we founded the business.
“It’s a major milestone for us as we pursue our goal to build a compelling global community for cricket fans, and we can’t wait to see fans put together fantasy teams using their ICC Crictos during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. SuperTeam will revolutionize digital sports fandom and will build upon FanCraze’s userbase across 100+ countries.”
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