Many Jamaicans might be surprised to learn that international cricket has resumed in the island.
After an extended and difficult break, Jamaica is again hosting international matches, with three One-Day Internationals and three T20 games listed for the island. The return, however, has not produced the level of public excitement some supporters expected.
Cricket West Indies said only 2,000 people were scanned at the gate for the opening ODI, while paid ticket sales stood at roughly 500 to 600. Those figures left longtime cricket fans concerned. By the second ODI, wet weather had also affected the occasion.
Still, the supporters who came out despite the conditions treated the matches as a meaningful return for the sport.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to have cricket at the great Sabina Park,” said former West Indies wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh Jr, who spoke as overcast skies hung above the venue.
“It’s always a pleasure to come here and watch. There’s a lot of motivation when you are here. Just feeling the ambience of being at Sabina Park is very great.”
Baugh Jr said Jamaica holds a special place in the cricket world. “Jamaica is like a Mecca of cricket. The great George Headley, Christopher Henry Gayle, just to name a few. Cricket in Jamaica is always the best thing. It helps the people to get together.”
Andre Bucknor, who also attended the second match in spite of the drizzle, shared a similar view.
“It’s an absolutely wonderful feeling, seeing cricket back in Jamaica. That’s how it should be,” Bucknor said. “I would love to see cricket more often in Jamaica, because the vibe, the energy is always here. The crowd, we’re rallying around the boys expecting them to win.”
Asked which versions of the game Jamaica should stage, Bucknor said he would welcome variety. “A mixture of the formats would be good. If it’s even a Test match, we come out for five days and support the West Indies.”
But some fans believe the public was not properly prepared for the series. Shani Lawrence, who was at the second ODI, said support for the team remains important even when results have been disappointing.
“I love cricket, and I don’t know why more people don’t come out and support the team,” Lawrence said. “Yeah, they haven’t been doing so well, but cricket is a foundation here and we need to come out and support the guys.”
Lawrence placed much of the responsibility on the organisers. “I think they need to market it more. A lot of people don’t even know that a match was happening today. They didn’t even know there was a series. They need to do proper marketing.”
The mood around the matches carries both celebration and warning. Cricket has returned to Jamaica, but if the sport is to draw stronger crowds, awareness may have to build well before match day.
Syndicated from Jamaica Gleaner · originally published .
