KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Jamaica’s coach Junior Bennett has denied there is any division in the President’s Cup squad between top flight West Indies players and those who broke ranks with the players’ union to represent West Indies.
In a Jamaica Observer story yesterday, Bennett said there is harmony in the team even as rumours swirled that there was tension between key members of the team.
Regular West Indies captain Chris Gayle and several other Jamaica players made themselves unavailable for international duties during the contractual dispute between the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).
Key Jamaica players, all-rounder David Bernard and left-arm spinner Nikita Miller did not support WIPA’s stance and went ahead to represent West Indies in the Bangladesh home series in July and the Champions Trophy in South Africa last month.
Bennett told the Observer the team management sought to nip any potential problem in the bud and met with the parties early.
“What we have done is to take nothing for granted and we had a meeting with all our senior internationals and when David Bernard and Nikita Miller returned from representing the West Indies (at the recent Champions Trophy) we had a meeting with them as well, and they all gave their commitment to Jamaica’s cricket,” said Bennett.
“So the mood in the camp is good and if you had followed the games and training sessions you would have noticed that,” added Bennett as the 14-member squad prepared to leave for Guyana.
Before contesting the WICB President’s Cup starting next week, the star-studded Jamaican squad – boasting 11 players with West Indies experience — will compete the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Twenty20 Festival this weekend at the National Stadium in Providence.
The two-day Twenty20 Festival will feature four teams – Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana and the United Chargers, from the USA.
JAMAICA SQUAD: Chris Gayle (captain), Brenton Parchment, Xavier Marshall, Shawn Findlay, Danza Hyatt, David Bernard, Brendon Nash, Wavell Hinds, Carlton Baugh, Nikita Miller, Odean Brown, Jerome Taylor, Andrew Richardson, Daren Powell.
