(Jamaica Observer) Out-of-favour West Indies batsman Brendan Nash said any thought he had of pulling out of the Jamaica cricket set-up was swept aside by the prospect of being a part of the nation’s quest to win a historic fifth consecutive regional four-day title.
The Australian-born Nash scored heavily in last season’s four-day competition but then suffered a poor run of form against the touring Pakistan and India teams in back-to-back Test series that followed.
He was dropped after the first Test loss against India at Sabina Park in June.
Nash, then the regional team vice-captain, looked short on confidence and made scores of one and nine in that match.
Many felt he had given up, but the 34-year-old said that after months of introspection in Australia he decided to make himself available for national selection this season.
“I needed to re-assess and see if my skills were still needed. I looked at it and I said ‘boy I want to be a part of Jamaica going for five-in-a-row’. I’m sure that has never been done and it’s something I have never done in any form of cricket — winning five competitions in a row,” he told the Observer after a Jamaica trial match at Kensington Park last Saturday.
On what proved to be a batting-friendly pitch, Nash scored a fluent and chanceless 173 for David Bernard Jnr’s XI and voiced his pleasure with the strong return.
“The wicket was good to bat on as you saw with the scores from both sides. It was pleasing because I haven’t been around the group for a few months now and I came back and scored some runs,” he said. Nash was selected in the Tamar Lambert-led 13-man squad to face Windward Islands at Sabina Park in the first round match of the four-day tournament, which starts tomorrow.
The left-handed middle-order batsman expressed a strong desire to do well for Jamaica and earn a possible Test recall.
“Yes, I’m still interested (to play for the West Indies). I don’t know where I stand in terms of the selection. I just have to go on and play for Jamaica and help where I can and be the leader I’ve been for the last few seasons. Going back to Australia was more mental because I was disillusioned with where I stood and with my future with the West Indies,” he said.
He insists that his problem had more to do with lack of confidence and suggested that he was dropped from the West Indies team prematurely.
“I don’t think I had technical issues that needed addressing. With me I’m at a stage in my career where I know what works for me and what doesn’t work. A lot of it (the poor batting form) was mental. I still felt I deserved more chances than I was given but that’s how it goes.
Jamaica Squad — Tamar Lambert (capt), Chris Gayle, Simon Jackson, Brenton Parchment, Brendan Nash, Donovan Pagon, David Bernard Jnr, Carlton Baugh Jnr, Andre Russell, Odean Brown, Nikita Miller, Andrew Richardson, Jamie Merchant.
