We need to restructure local cricket, says Bryan

André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

Newly appointed Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) CEO Robert Bryan is fully aware of the challenges that he will face in his new role, but has already chalked out his course of action, with a restructuring of the local cricketing framework ranking high on his to-do list.

Bryan, who was the main man behind Jamaica's involvement in the 2007 staging of the Cricket World Cup, as well as the recently concluded ICC Twenty20 World Cup, which was also hosted in the region, put pen to paper on a two-year deal with the JCA, and he knows exactly where to start working.

The experienced administrator identified the need to strengthen the various parish and club administrations across the island as his first order of business, and believes that this will serve as a means of ensuring greater development of the sport at all levels in the country.

"I want to facilitate the strengthening of the parish associations and the club structure across the island, and then on the basis of that, to strengthen and develop the various leagues and competitions that are facilitated under the banner of the JCA," said Bryan. "We also need to look to see the linkage between other areas of cricketing activity across the country, so we will have to look at schoolboy cricket, and so forth, and how that fits into the wider picture."

Expressing confidence

Bryan went on to highlight his main areas of focus while expressing confidence that he would be able to achieve his objectives, given the experience he had developed through his roles during the two global events.

"I want to spend some time and focus on the organisational framework of cricket in the country," Bryan said. "Secondly, we need to look at the commercial side, with a view to growing revenues and attracting commercial sponsors and partners to the sport. We also need to look to see how we can market the entire product, with a view to increasing the presence and brand value of the sport here and abroad".

"I'm looking forward to the challenge. I've been convinced that based on where the JCA wants to go, I have the skills that can help them achieve that. I feel comfortable with the experience I have gained from managing two world events, that I can bring those skills to the table, along with other experience, and make a difference," Bryan added.

Bryan will also be responsible for the management of the administratives aspects of the JCA's operations, and will also be asked to lead the charting of a strategic direction for the organisation.

Challenges

Despite his confidence, Bryan is, however, aware of the challenges that he must overcome if he is to bring the sport back on track and bring it back into the hearts of the local sporting population, which seems to have given up on the sport.

"I am approaching this job, first of all, by being very realistic; and I accept that cricket is in a spot of bother. The challenge is going to be tremendous because the sport is under severe financial pressure, and the fact that cricket right across the region has been down for some time, the lack of spectator support, all of those elements are a part of the whole thing," Bryan admitted.

"I have to spend some time figuring out what exists. Although I have some idea, I have to take some time to understand the various elements and structures across the country, and that sort of thing," he added.

Bryan is also of the view that though the sport is not enjoying its best spell across the region, it is, however, still very popular across the globe and that everything must be done to ensure that the game reclaims its appeal in Jamaica.

"I remain convinced, and even more so coming out of my experience as tournament director of the recent Twenty20 Championship, that cricket as a sport internationally, has a tremendous growth path in front of it," Bryan said. "The fact that we have allowed it to be where it is, is what we will have to address and figure out how we are going to realign it with what is happening in the international arena, where it is growing leaps and bounds."