THE LUCRATIVE Stanford Twenty20 cricket tournament is less than a month away, and, as expected, Jamaican players are defending their places in the national team.

But I have a few concerns. Firstly, regarding Jermaine Lawson, who accused the selectors of not treating him fairly in his non-selection, and Jamaica's five members on the West Indies team who will be doing everything in their powers to arrive in Antigua on time for the opening match.

Now, Jamaica play their first match on February 6 against The Bahamas, while the West Indies' final match of their almost two-month long tour of South Africa ends on February 3.

This mean, the players, who include Chris Gayle, Brenton Parchment, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor and Daren Powell, are expected to depart on February 4 and, according to Jamaica's national senior team coach, Junior Bennett, will reach Antigua on time - on the evening of the 5th, for the game on the 6th.

Anyone with travelling experience will know that you cannot trust that you will arrive at the specific time as flights are often delayed or cancelled.

In an interview with The Gleaner last month, Bennett said "Some form of contingency plan will have to be put in place to deal with that. I know they are looking into it (the travel arrangements)."

I hope that Jackie Hendriks, president of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), has advised the selectors and the five players to think about the second match against St. Kitts and Nevis, Turks and Caicos Islands or Montserrat - if Jamaica advanced, rather than running the risk of only turning up with eight players for the first match.

What an embarrassment that would be to Jamaica and the country, especially since the Stanford Group cannot be expected to pay for extra players.

Or maybe, the JCA is thinking of spending some extra and unnecessary money, money that they cry about not having every day, to send reserves to Antigua.

Need rest

It would not be new if these players, coming back from West Indies' duties, sit out the first match, as time and time again, when players return from tours, it is always said they need rest.

I believe if the JCA sets up itself to embarrass Jamaica, the entire board should resign.

The second matter is about Lawson's omission from the squad. Unlike previous years when the selectors went for names, I think they have made a bold step this time around, one which I would grade them 9.5 out of 10 for making.

One big question is why would Lawson argue his non-selection to the Twenty20 team when the Carib Beer is the real deal? He should be hoping for a good first-class season rather than a Twenty20 event which sees a match ending within four hours.

And why doesn't he look at this squad - Gayle, Tamar Lambert, Samuels, Parchment, Wavell Hinds, Brendan Nash, Shawn Findlay, Danza Hyatt, David Bernard, Nikita Miller, Odean Brown, Xavier Marshall, Jowayne Robinson, Carlton Baugh, Taylor and Powell, and say whom he should have been selected over.

If you asked me, I would say none.

Feedback: anthonyfos@gmail.com or Anthony.foster@gleanerjm.com