Tony Becca

The regional limited-overs cricket season begins in just about two weeks time and after some disappointing performances in the past few years, Jamaica will be looking forward to a good season, a season which, with a little luck, could see them winning not only the KFC 50-over limited-over title, not only the Carib Beer Cup four-day title, but also the rich Stanford Twenty20 title when those contests come around early next year.

And there is no question about it, based on the talent that so many of the players showed when they were youngsters at the Under 15 level, Jamaica, by now and despite the talent in the other territories, should be unstoppable in the region.

The problem, however, is that the youngsters, youngsters like Krishmar Santokie, Howard Powell, Xavier Marshall and so many others who looked so good as youngsters, have not developed in terms of technique, they have hardly moved one inch, just watching them on the field day after day, in terms of knowledge of the game they are no different from they were at 16, 17 or 18 and the question is why.

Is it that despite what they may say they are not interested in the game, or is it that they simply are not prepared to work at their game, to practice and to train in order to improve?

While there is no question that to the majority of them the above is true, there are a few who love the game enough, who believe they are good enough, who are good enough to make it to the top and who are willing to work, to do whatever they have to do to reach the top.

The problem, it appears, the reason why so many of our promising young players have not improved, is that Jamaica is short of good coaches, coaches who are good enough not only to show a youngster how to hold the bat, when to play back and when to play forward, how to grip the ball and how to field the ball, but also to spot mistakes and more importantly, to correct them.

Competitive spirit

At school when the player is learning the basics of the game the coaching seems to be adequate. The problem is later on, in the clubs and while preparing to represent Jamaica.

At that stage, the player needs more than the basics of the game an practice makes perfect, they need more than regular net sessions.

At that stage of their development, the young players need an expert eye watching them and a good brain at their disposal.

At that stage, they do not need a cheer leader - someone who tells them how good they are, at that stage, the batsmen, for example, do need not someone who simply stands behind the stumps 22 yards away with his hands behind his back doing nothing and saying nothing, except, some times, "play straight", "play in the V", "do not cut" and "I am tired of telling you, do not hook".

At that stage of their development, they need someone who can and will tell them why they should play straight, not that they should not cut but when they can cut, when they should cut and how they should cut, not that they should not hook but when they can hook, when they should hook and how they should hook.

That, along with the development of a competitive spirit, the formation of good character and generally good grooming, is the essence of good coaching and unfortunately that is lacking in some of the schools, in most of the clubs and all around Jamaica.

Talent can take a cricketer and especially so a batsman, so far and no farther. Good coaching, dedication and commitment are necessary to go all the way, however, and apart from their lack of dedication and commitment, Jamaica's cricketers have been let down by the absence of good coaches and therefore the poor coaching, or rather the no coaching, they receive as they grow older.

Players like Santokie, Marshall and company, and particularly so Marshall, are hardly any better today than they were as teenagers.

Pacer Jerome Taylor (right) appeals for a LBW decision against Brenton Parchment during the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) trial match between Chris Gayle's XI and Tamar Lambert's XI at Sabina on Sunday. The successful appeal brought Taylor, who played on Gayle's XI, his only wicket for 12 runs. Parchment made five for Lambert's XI, which went on to score 150 for three in 36.1 overs and win by seven wickets, in reply to the 149 all out made by Gayle's XI. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer