Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) President Dr Donovan Bennett says he is optimistic that the attendance of school students and principals at today’s One-Day International (ODI) between the West Indies and Sri Lanka at Sabina Park will help generate greater interest in the sport.

The first 50-over contest of the three-match series bowls off at 9:30 am with the 10th-ranked West Indies seeking a victory over Sri Lanka as they continue their push for a top-eight ranking and automatic qualification for next year’s ICC Cricket World Cup.

With the match marking the return of ODI cricket to Kingston for the first time in four years, the JCA has designated it as ‘ISSA (Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association) Day’ with thousands of students athletes from high schools islandwide given free tickets to attend the encounter.

“It is a deliberate attempt because not only are we inviting the school children from all over the island to access the stadium free of cost but we have also provided a box for the principals to come in and enjoy the game in comfort so all that is being done to stimulate and to have the schools getting back into cricket,” Bennett told the Jamaica Observer.

“The number of schools that have been playing [cricket], both in Kingston and in country, has fallen off dramatically. So we are trying to do all we can to not only stimulate the kids by coming in free and watching the game, but also the principals because they are the chief point of focus now. If the principals are not interested in the game, then nothing can happen, so we are targeting both principals and students.”

ISSA urban cricket chairman Roncell Brooks believes the initiative will help principals recognise the value of cricket, after years of dwindling participation in the sport at high school.

“It’s really to get that level of support from them in the sense that at this time we’re not getting that level of investment from many schools in cricket,” he told the Observer.

“Going out to see that game is to get our principals at that level where their interest and the support that they give to cricket at the school level, we can get back there and we can have many of our students, especially our boys playing cricket, to have that high level interest.”

Brooks, who serves as principal at Norman Manley High, also hopes it will inspire the student cricketers to want to play for the West Indies on the international stage.

“The collaboration seeks to give students in general because it is open not only to cricketers but to sports students so they can see cricket being played at the highest level and to pique their interest in the game of cricket and hopefully we can see some of these students making it to that level of cricket,” said Brooks.

“We have a current schoolboy who was actually called up to be a part of the [training] squad in the form of Vitel Lawes from St Jago High School. That is where we want to get it, where even during their high school years we can have our students being called up to represent at the highest level of cricket,” he said.

Along with the match, ISSA will have a special awards ceremony which is expected to be broadcast live on
ESPN.

BENNETT… not only are we inviting the schoolchildren from all over the island to access the stadium free of cost but we have also provided a box for the principals to come in and enjoy the game in comfort (Photo: CWI Media)