We say again that, in our view, the Jamaican Government showed poor vision by not bidding to host games in the ICC Twenty20 (T20) World Cup set for the Caribbean and the United States in June.

The Government, through its Sports Minister Ms Olivia Grange, said that the $450-million price tag to host a few games and renovate stadia was too high.

No doubt the boom in the multi-billion-US dollar tourism industry — with hotel rooms mostly full — reduced the felt need for additional promotion to attract visitors.

Apparently also, the Government failed to properly appreciate that cricket is among the fastest-growing segments of the cash-rich global sports industry and that Jamaica and its neighbours — by dint of history, tradition and culture — are well-placed to command a niche.

We believe Jamaica has a responsibility to uphold and, indeed, exploit our rich legacy in cricket going back well in excess of 100 years.

From Mr George Headley to Mr Chris Gayle, over a period of 90 years, this country has produced some of the world’s greatest and most famous cricketers, including Messrs Alf Valentine, Michael Holding, Courtney Walsh, Jeff Dujon, Lawrence Rowe, Gerry Alexander, Jackie Hendriks, et al.

It’s testament to the absence of vision by those at the helm that, to this day, and after many years of false promises there is still no museum of cricket at Sabina Park in downtown Kingston, which is among the global game’s most historic and acclaimed venues.

Properly structured and organised, such a museum would be a ‘must-see’ for cricket lovers visiting this country.

All that said, we believe it’s important not to confuse the Government’s abysmal failure in relation to the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup with the abandonment of the Jamaica Tallawahs franchise for the next edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

These are two very different issues.

Also, depending on who is speaking, we are getting very different perspectives.

The former Tallawahs management accused the Jamaican Government of not providing the requisite material support — which presumably they will now get from the Antiguan Government. Readers will recall that no CPL games have been hosted by Jamaica since 2019.

Ms Grange tells us that, while the Government provided support, it could not meet the demands of the Tallawahs, given its other responsibilities to sport — including national cricket teams.

In that regard, the minister noted that the Tallawahs — proud flag-bearer though they have been — are not a Jamaica national team. Indeed, they are not. They are franchise-based and privately operated with top players drawn not just from Jamaica and the wider region but from across the world.

Obviously then, there is a limit to the number of local and regional players showcasing their skills.

This newspaper has consistently argued that useful though the CPL is, there is urgent need for a truly domestic T20 tournament to heighten development in global cricket’s fastest-growing format while expanding the talent pool available to the West Indies selectors.

Currently, in our view, that established T20 talent pool is not as wide as it should be ahead of the World Cup six months from now.

Beyond June, Cricket West Indies should move with urgency to establish that regional, domestic T20 league.