Editorial | The lessons of cricket

Even as they excoriate the government for failing to offer the island as a venue for matches in next year’s T20 Cricket World Cup, Jamaicans owe the Holness administration a fair hearing on its decision, while insisting on a bankable insurance on its compensatory offer: to invest J$100 million in grassroots cricket over the next five years.

If the government kept its word, the financing – although the average J$20 million a year is insufficient, given the scale of the problem – could signal the start of the turnaround of cricket in Jamaica, contributing to the resurgence of the game in the Caribbean.

Indeed, cricket stakeholders – including the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), the parish organisations, and the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) – should probably ask the sport minister, Olivia Grange, for a much greater commitment. They should also demand a similar pledge from the political Opposition, which, too, has wailed over the fact that Jamaica won’t have games.

Any request for additional taxpayers’ money, however, must be accompanied by comprehensive development plans and transparent accountability mechanisms.

DISAPPOINTED

Like many of the government’s critics, this newspaper is disappointed that T20 World Cup matches won’t be played in Jamaica. We are saddened, too, that the decision-making lacked transparency. On its face, though, it is easy to be sympathetic to Minister Grange and the government.

The West Indies (the countries from which the region’s combined international cricket teams are drawn) and the United States are to jointly host the tournament, in which 20 teams will participate.

Seven Caribbean territories – Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, and St Vincent and The Grenadines – as well as the US states of Florida, New York and Texas, will host matches.

According to Ms Grange, Jamaica didn’t bid because it would be too expensive, an estimated J$450 million.

“[W]e … considered the economic, social and development impact, including the potential tourism-related impact and attendant industry benefits using year-over-year economic modelling, reconciled against current tourism performance,” the minister said.

The numbers didn’t pan out.

Added the minister: “As a responsible minister I am obliged to look beyond immediate gratification to sustainable sport development that will yield immeasurable rewards at all levels in Jamaica.”

Except the public doesn’t know the specific permutations of Ms Grange calculations or methodology.

The minister’s critics insist that Jamaica again forfeited an opportunity to use sport as a marketing and economic promotion tool. With 1.4 billion Indians in the vanguard, cricket, they say, with an audience of more than two billion, is the fastest-growing sport in the world (despite appearing to limp in the Caribbean). It also has among the richest sports franchises. These are things that Jamaica should tap into.

DEEP-ROOTED CONNECTIONS

Many West Indians, in common with this newspaper, have deep-rooted, social and political connections with cricket and the region’s socio-politico evolution in tandem with the ebbs and flows of the game. Which is why, despite their seeming withdrawal from the game, many West Indians are pained by the current lowly status of the region’s team – which perhaps offers some insights into Ms Grange’s decision.

The West Indies is certain of a place in next year’s tournament only because it is one of the hosts.

A year ago, the West Indies was, ignominiously, booted early from the 2022 edition of the biennial tournament, losing along the way to minnows Scotland and Ireland. Nor did the team make the cut for the World Cup of a longer version of the game (50 overs per side) that began yesterday in India.

Obviously, Ms Grange didn’t believe that Jamaica could bet on the team’s performance to entice domestic fans to matches, notwithstanding, or especially given the international focus that might be on Jamaica.

It’s probable, too, Ms Grange is haunted by the overselling of the 2007 World Cup (the longer version), on whose preparation Jamaica spent over US$100 million (nearly J$16 billion at today’s values), including U$60 million on the construction of a new cricket stadium and the rebuilding of another. It was projected that over half a decade the island would have a return of $700 million, including US$9 million in ticket sales and purchases by 20,000 tourists. The government’s trade and investment promotion agency, JAMPRO, estimated the tournament to catalyse US$400 million in foreign direct investment and around US$200 million in non-traditional exports over five years.

It is not known if a rigorous post-period assessment of these expectations was ever done.

What was apparent, however, was that the fans didn’t come in the expected droves and one of the stadia is now in ruin. The other is badly in need of refurbishing.

So, that Ms Grange might have had cold feet is understandable. The lesson: begin to plan now how to maximise returns from sports and the creative industries.