Jamaica Bails Out of Hosting T20 2024 World Cup Matches

The news that Jamaica will not host any of next year’s world cup cricket T20 matches – being held in the West Indies and the United States – is disappointing.

Unlike the rest of the region Jamaica did not bid to host any of the matches.

The Jamaican government’s reasons behind this decision is cost.

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latest-news/it-wasnt-worth-it-cost-of-hosting-t20-world-cup-games-outweighed-benefits-grange/amp/

Despite the relative success of homegrown Jamaicans in sports such as athletics and football it is our local cricketers (since 2010) who have been more successful financially thanks to the explosion of white ball tournaments worldwide.

Did the cost benefit analysis conducted by the government look into the long term impact of youngsters inspired by seeing WC cricket superstars closeup as a potential diversion from poverty and crime?

That kind opportunity cost returns to host some world cup matches outweighs any short to medium term cost concerns.

Has the government seen the recent CPL crowds in Guyana?

But in recent years we have witnessed a lame drip drip approach to developing and maintaining cricket locally as a significant part of our heritage.

We don’t host CPL matches anymore, we hardly have any regional matches on local soil and women’s cricket is virtually non existent on the island.

The white elephant cricket stadium in Trelawny (built for 2007 WC) was self inflicted due to a lack of effort and vision to make effective use of those facilities since it was built.

That stadium cannot operate on it’s own without drive, innovative thinking & networking, passion and a willingness to learn from others with similar built stadia globally.

What has the authorities for that venue done to monetise the stadium consistently?

Did the local authorities ever offer to host English county teams at that stadium during the winter season?

Have they tried to network with cricketing authorities in Australia, Asia and South Africa for their clubs to use the facilities and also conduct local clinics for our youngsters?

We have just seen a tepid attitude to local cricket by the powers that be, yet many of our recent players have earned good money from franchise cricket and contributed significantly to the local economy by setting up businesses and made charitable contributions.

We know in Jamaica once you give up on a traditional industry without effort it will be hard to get it back to where it once was.

E.g. The destruction of passenger railway services since the 1980s.

Cricket has been the main sporting lifeline for many Jamaicans both fans and players for over 80 years; not football, not athletics.

Cricket was a sport that empowered a lot of black Jamaicans to believe International success in any field was possible.

The Jamaican government and some local sporting administrations have a lot to answer for.

We have seen in Jamaica where the football pitch at our national stadium has been atrocious for decades, Catherine Hall stadium in western Jamaica is not fit for purpose and Sabina Park seems to have been downgraded from its main purpose as a cricket venue.

Jamaica’s success in many sports can be attributed to the support of coaches and local benefactors than governments and private sector that tend to jump on the bandwagon late in the day.

We saw that kind of token bandwagonism this year for our women’s netball and football teams at world cup tournaments.

Cricket has been a critical part of our sporting heritage. It has elevated many men and women and their families out of poverty and away from the temptation of crime.

Since the advent of T20 cricket Jamaica has provided some of great and most popular cricketers to grace world cups and the numerous franchises overseas.

Jamaica’s Andre Russell is revered by fans globally thanks to his exploits in franchise cricket.

Russell for one has contributed to the local economy where he grew up by setting businesses and sponsors community sporting events.

Hard to take seriously, cost concerns from a government that recently gave themselves triple digit % pay rises and wasted public money all over the place according to numerous published reports from the auditor general.

Jamaicans affectionately call T20 cricket “curry goat cricket”.

Is the fire and interest slowly turning away on Jamaican cricket?

We are all to blame for this embarrassing setback for Jamaican cricket but in particular the government and opposition, the Jamaica Cricket Association, private sector and the local media.

Terrible own goal.