Anthony Foster, Gleaner WriterJAMAICA, IN recent years, has produced more West Indies players than any other country in the region, yet is still can't find a sponsor for its top-flight one-day tournament.
President of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), Jackie Hendriks, said his group had tried to secure sponsorship for the tournament but said local businesses were in dire straits.
"Economically, things are difficult at the moment," Hendriks said. "We have tried very hard to get sponsorship for this competition but it doesn't seem to be a good time to get involved in this sort of local cricket," he said of potential sponsors.
After next month's JCA's election, Paul Campbell or Courtney Walsh, whoever wins the presidency, will be entrusted with the task of opening the innings with new sponsorship.Both candidates, who are looking to replace Hendriks, who opted not to seek re-election, are aware of the importance of sponsorship.Walsh, who played 132 matches for the West Indies, believes Jamaica cricket is too marketable not to have sponsorship for its premier one-day tournament.
"That is the only reason why I have gotten involved with it and decided to (run)," Walsh, who expressed his disappointed at not seeing a sponsor on board, said.
"I think for someone who used to play the game, which gave me everything that I have, so to speak, and to know it's (one-day tournament) not being sponsored, I want to get involved ... and to assist in whatever way I can, so I can make sure it all runs well," he said."I am a little bit disappointed that we don't have the sponsors on board," continued Walsh, who took 519 Test wickets. "I will try to ensure that from here on we get sponsorship for all our competitions and that the sponsors are happy."The former West Indies captain also believes he would make sure "the cricketers realise their obligations to the sponsors".
Campbell, chairman of the JCA's marketing committee, was quick to point out that sponsorships were not easy to garner as some people think.
Discussions with potential sponsors
However, the current first vice-president said discussions were taking place with potential sponsors.
Campbell said the JCA was also in discussions to have sponsors for the Super League and the senior Jamaica team next year.
"We continue, the marketing committee, to seek out sponsorships but most importantly, we continue to look for the value to make sure we extract value and give value to our partners," he said.
"So, it's an ongoing thing. It's not something that starts today and stops tomorrow." Campbell, who said since he took over the marketing committee in 2002 has signed Supreme Ventures for three years ($45 million), Capital & Credit (more than $20m for five years) and Red Stripe, along with many other sponsors, explained how sponsorship works.
"Most sponsorships or partnerships have a shelf life because people go into sponsorship for various reasons. Once they achieve that (goal), they move (on).
"There is no guarantee if you lose a sponsorship today, you are going to replace it tomorrow ... and our approach has always been and continues to be that we manage our funds in such a way that when that year or two years comes and you are not able to attract a sponsorship ... then you must have sufficient funds to take care of things, which is what we have done," he said.
KNOW THE STARS
THE SAINTS
DANZA HYATTTHERE ARE a couple of film buffs in Danza Pacino Hyatt's immediate family tree.
"Yeah, my parents were always watching The Godfather, so I guess that's where it comes from," the St Catherine CC batsman says of his unusual middle name.
Al Pacino, in his seminal role as Michael Corleone, played the youngest son of 'godfather' Vito Corleone in the mafia classic brought to the screen by Francis Ford Coppola from the book by Mario Puzo.
Michael, through circumstances beyond his control, assumes the 'donship' of the family in the cinematic epic and ruthlessly wipes out the Corleone's enemies.
'Real life' is nowhere near that dramatic for Hyatt and, for now, he's just happy to be a part of the happy Saints' family.
"I never feel any pressure in the St Catherine batting line-up because it is not just me alone," the 25-year-old right-hand bat said. "You have Tamar Lambert, Keith Hibbert, the youngster Shacoya Thomas … you have a whole lot of guys who can bat, so there's no pressure on me as a batsman," he said.
After an early half-century, the runs have dried up for Hyatt in the All-island limited-over competition.
"After the (Stanford) 20/20 trials, I came back here and made 84 in my first game back, but after that I haven't spent any time at the crease. My main thing is to just get some time in the middle," he said.
Hyatt, who made his first-class debut for Jamaica in the 2003-04 season, was the island's standout batsman as it reached the final of the lucrative Stanford 20/20 regional tournament before falling to Trinidad and Tobago.
Hyatt compiled the second most runs in the tournament, 161, and was invited to the initial Stanford All-stars training squad.
Unfortunately for himself and potentially his wallet, he failed to survive the first cut and thus missed the opportunity to become an instant US$ millionaire in the winner-take-all match against an England team in Antigua on November 1.
"There were seven trial matches and I didn't score any runs, so I was not surprised I was dropped," he said. "If you don't get any runs you expect to be left out. I batted at three, I opened and I batted at seven so I was up and down, up and down, but I wouldn't blame that on my performance because every time I went out to bat I had 10 to 15 overs to bat," he said.
"I don't blame anybody but myself, a million dollars is a lot of money … it's a disappointment but there's always next year. I just need to believe in my ability, work hard, work on the basics and keep going."
Off the pitch, Danza has an 11-month-old son and there are no prizes for guessing his given names: Al Pacino.
ODEAN BROWNOF ALL the crafts associated with cricket, leg spin is probably the most difficult to master.
It's not just coming to grips with the mechanics of making the ball turn 'the other way', but also the mental agility required to vary line, length and speed while the batsman is winding up to beat you out of the ground.
The Saints' resident leggie, Odean Brown, freely admits he's still a work-in-progress but is relishing the challenges provided by the subtle, wristy art.
"I have to play more consistently for Jamaica and when I do that I know I will improve. I know I have improved from a few years ago to now," the 26-year-old native of Westmoreland said of his budding career.
"I am learning a lot," he said. Part of that learning experience is coming from Jamaican spin partner and today's rival, Nikita Miller.
"He (Miller) has taught me a lot in terms of confidence and belief. At the next level, it's about consistency and Nikita has also shown that," he said. "Once you get the attitude right, everything else falls into place."
Brown said his early mentor was former Under-19 cricketer and schoolmate Kevin Peart and he now tries to emulate Indian veteran Anil Kumble.
"I think he (Kumble) and I have some things in common like bowling speed. He's definitely the one I idolise," said the young twirler who boasts "about four or five" different deliveries.
Kumble has 616 wickets from his 130 Tests; Brown, who made his first-class debut in the 2003-04 season, has all of 53 for Jamaica.
Another part of the great art of leg spin is patience, plenty of patience.
THE KANGAROOS
CARLTON BAUGHMELBOURNE SKIPPER Carlton Baugh is the poster child for the word 'perseverance'.
The diminutive keeper/batsman has been on and off the West Indian team's merry-go-round so many times you would expect him to have chronic hamstring problems.
However, the veteran of five Tests and 28 one-day internationals in the maroon cap, dating back to 2003, just keeps plugging away and, apparently, is back in favour again; having been chosen over incumbent keeper Denesh Ramdin of Trinidad and Tobago for the recent tour to Canada.
"It was a great feeling for me when they selected me for Canada because I felt for some time I was out there in the wilderness and now I am out of it," Baugh, who is still only 26, said of his somewhat surprising recall.
"I am now looking forward to better things to come. At the moment, I still think I am the second wicketkeeper behind Denesh," he said.
"I am just playing hard cricket. I am going to try to do my best and score some runs and make it a hard job for the selectors.
"The batting will be what carries me forward and keeps me ahead of the other wicketkeepers in the region," said Baugh who is one of the sweetest timers of the ball in the Caribbean, but has yet to carry that on at the highest level where he averages 19.6 in Tests and an okay but not great 16.53 in one-day internationals.
Still, it's just work, work and more work for Baugh.
"I've been doing a lot of hard work. I practise four or five days a week - two sessions per day, with Andre Coley, working on keeping and batting at the Sabina Park indoor nets. There's something different about me now.
"On my day with the bat, I put myself ahead of Denesh and (Barbados keeper) Patrick Browne, I just have to keep on going."
NIKITA MILLERALL OF a sudden, left-arm spinners are in vogue.
Daniel Vettori in New Zealand, Monty Panesar in England, Beau Casson in Australia and Paul Harris in South Africa are at the vanguard on the Test front.
In the Caribbean there's also somewhat of a left-arm glut with Trinidad and Tobago's Dave Mohammed and Barbados's Sulieman Benn battling it out with Jamaica's Nikita Miller for the tenuous position of spin bowler in the West Indies side.
For the moment, Melbourne's Miller appears to have stolen a break on his lefty rivals.
Following on the heels of a season-leading 42 wickets in the West Indies domestic four-day competition, the 26-year-old from St Elizabeth made his one-day international debut against world champions Australia in Basseterre, St Kitts, and bowled tidily for figures of 1-56 and 1-38 in his first two games.
Miller then made the trip to Canada where, against palpably inferior opponents, he picked up 3-19 against Bermuda and 2-18 against the hosts.
It's early days, but Miller is enjoying life in the West Indian fold.
"It was awesome, a dream come true to represent my region," Miller said. "For me to make my debut against Australia was great. It was a greater challenge than playing against a team like Trinidad.
"At the end of the day against the Aussies you are really tired - it's very mentally tiring," he said.
Of all the Test lefties, Miller most wants to emulate the Kiwi skipper.
"I like Vettori, he's my bowler. What I try to work on is consistency," he said. "At the international level, it's about consistency and skill and Vettori is a master of that."
With four ODIs under his belt, Miller wants to expand his résumé to include Tests.
"That's definitely what I am aiming at. I am one who likes competition and I am looking forward to the challenge," said Miller who made his first-class debut in 2004.
"If I get the opportunity, I will definitely go out there and perform to the best of my ability. I'm preparing for that right now."
Profiles: Tym Glaser
HONOUR ROLL
1990
