JUST into his second day as Jamaica’s senior cricket coach, Augustine ‘Gus’ Logie, has identified the Twenty/20 (T20) and 50-overs formats as the main areas of focus during his contracted four months in charge.

Logie told the Observer after yesterday’s press briefing at Sabina Park that his main goal is to impart knowledge and expertise to the players to facilitate their development, particularly in the shorter versions of the game.

“I’ve been speaking to some of the young individuals in the team and they’ve talked about the thought processes for the limited-overs game and it’s not where it’s supposed to be.

“It has been observed that Jamaica has not done well at the shorter version of the game. The hustle and bustle of that format… is not something they’ve grasped as yet. There are some things that I can bring to the table and hopefully, they can reach the level to execute (properly),” he said.

A prominent middle-order batsman for Trinidad & Tobago and the West Indies in the 1980s and ’90s, Logie has also previously coached the regional Test and One-Day teams. The highlight of his spell as coach came in 2004 when the West Indies lifted the Champions Trophy.

Logie’s appointment is part of the Jamaica Cricket Association’s (JCA) restructuring, which has seen former coach Junior Bennett relegated to assistant role, effective December 1.

At the briefing, it was revealed that Mayberry Investments Limited will cover the salary of the Trinidadian during the period.

The JCA’s technical committee, led by Jimmy Adams, had also recommended that veteran physical trainer David Bernard Snr be replaced by Gibbs Williams. Like Bennett, Bernard has also reportedly agreed to play a supporting role in team preparation.

Added Logie: “Once I can bring something so that the players can move forward and maybe have better awareness of what it takes to be a success at Twenty/20 and 50-overs cricket… I think the aim is to try and get Jamaican cricket to another level.

“This is about helping the youngsters and passing on information and knowledge and hopefully, players would respond and the coaches would learn something.”

Bennett has coached the team to consecutive regional four-day triumphs in the 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. He was also the man at the helm when Jamaica tasted victory in the 2007-08 regional One-Day competition.

Despite his outstanding record, Bennett’s detractors point to the team’s meagre successes in the shorter versions of the game.

Barbados and the Leeward Islands shared the just-concluded 50-overs tourney hosted by Jamaica, while Trinidad & Tobago have won three of the previous four editions.

Jamaica’s best finish in the Twenty/20 format came during the Stanford 20/20 in 2008 when they lost to Trinidad & Tobago in the final.