THE Jamaica senior cricketers, including captain Chris Gayle, are scheduled to travel to Guyana today to compete in the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional Super50 Tournament from October 19 to 29.

Members of the party are scheduled to leave Sabina Park at 10:30 am, but importantly, the team will travel without a physical trainer reportedly due to funding constraints at the JCA.

The Jamaicans, guided by re-appointed head coach Junior Bennett, are desperate to secure the limited-overs title that has eluded them since the 2007-08 season.

Barbados and the Leeward Islands are joint reigning champions after a remarkable tie in last year’s final in Jamaica.

Aside from the hard-hitting Gayle, the Jamaica 14-man squad has a fair amount of batting firepower in enigmatic batsman Xavier Marshall, explosive all-rounder Shawn Findlay, stockily-built Tamar Lambert, left-handed opener Simon Jackson, along with wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton, and promising recruits Jermaine Blackwood, Yannick Elliott and Kenar Lewis.

The pace bowling department consists of Jerome Taylor, Andrew Richardson and left-arm swing bowler Krishmar Santokie.

Most of the slow bowling responsibilities should fall on the shoulders of wrist-spinner Odean Brown and his left-arm orthodox partner Nikita Miller.

Given that low and slow pitches are to be expected in Guyana, the coaching staff can also rely on useful spin bowling from Gayle, Lambert, Elliott and Blackwood.

Fast bowling all-rounder Andre Russell and batsman Danza Hyatt, both representing the West Indies in the One Day International (ODI) series against Bangladesh, will join the squad after the opening game against Leewards on October 20.

Batsman Marlon Samuels and wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh Jnr miss out on the competition due to the regional team’s Test engagement in Bangladesh.

Speaking to the Observer last Thursday, Bennett said the aim is to reverse the poor limited-overs performances in recent years and win the title.

“We have not done well at the shorter versions, whether 50-overs or Twenty20, so that is on our mind and we are looking to correct that. Jamaica won in 1999 and then in 2007 and we have to play good consistent cricket throughout to do it again. We have to pay attention to details and ensure we don’t slack off against our opponents,” he said.

According to Bennett, the squad was hampered by limited preparation, but he hopes that participation in the local club competition and the experience of most of his players will prove crucial.

“The limited preparation time affected us a bit. There were some things we would have loved to do that we did not have time to do, but the good thing is that the club competition is being played now so players have matches on the weekend.

“We will try and get acclimatised as quickly as possible. We know the pitches down there will be low and slow, but most of the players know how those conditions are like because they have played there before,” the tactician said.

For the tournament, two balls will be used in each innings, with the opening bowlers starting with a new one from each end. The batting and bowling Powerplays will be taken between the 16th and 40th overs.

While these changes coincide with recent tweaks made by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to ODIs, the WICB has added other minor innovations.

Two bowlers from each side will be allowed to bowl 12 overs apiece. The remaining bowlers, as is the norm in the 50-over format, will be limited to 10.

The close-catcher rule during the fielding restrictions will be put aside, and up to four fielders will be allowed outside the 30-yard circle in the non-Powerplay overs, instead of five.