Gordon Williams, Gleaner Writer

THE TIME is different. The season, brand new. But Brendan Nash faces the same uphill battle.

The Australian-born cricketer, who plays for Jamaica, knows he must again prove - to his teammates and fans around the Caribbean - that he belongs.

It's no longer significant that Nash's only season for Jamaica was successful enough to earn him a place in the West Indies team for a tri-nation tournament in August where he was among the top performers, admittedly against weak opponents. Nor that he is in Abu Dhabi for three one-day internationals against Pakistan which end today.

More convincing to do

It doesn't matter that his type of game, rooted in gritty, knowledgeable, professional efficiency, has been sorely missing from the declining West Indies in recent years. The 30-year-old still has some convincing to do. After all, Nash has been gifted so much, so soon, he's earned praise from some and wrath from other regional cricket observers. Even he is somewhat surprised.

"I really didn't set myself a timetable (to make the West Indies team)," Nash explained recently while in Canada, where he played against the home team and Bermuda. "I honestly thought it was going to take some time and may not even happen."

Yet, Nash is not about to return the opportunity to fulfill a longtime dream, especially since the remainder of his cricketing career is fully invested in it. He knows the critics are watching his every move and his opponents now have a blueprint to counter each one.

"Players (in the Caribbean) have seen me now and bowlers have seen me," he said. "So, it's going to be a lot tougher. I'll have more work to do."

That part Nash can handle. In between innings during one game in Canada, while most of his teammates relaxed in the pavilion, the 5' 8" all-rounder, nicknamed 'Bubba', took additional fielding practice.

Nash repeatedly sprinted, picked up and threw at a solitary stump. When he missed, he paused frustrated, demanding better execution. But Nash has accepted that perfection is not possible and highs and lows must be taken in the same measured doses.

"That's the experience side of me," said Nash, who was not out twice in two innings in Canada, scoring 66 total runs and taking five wickets at 4.40 runs per over, with a best of 3-56. "I know that there's going to be ups and downs

"If I play more games for the West Indies., there's probably going to be a low time. So, I've got to know in myself how to deal with that and how to get the best out of myself and turn it back to an up."

Harsh criticism

Considering his quick rise from unwanted club player in the land of his birth to being recognised as possibly a key cog in the fortunes of the West Indies, that's not a bad approach. It's the same maturity that helped Nash during his maiden Caribbean season. He knows some believe he did not make it in Australia and came to the Caribbean to deprive a homegrown player of a West Indies place. While his teammates - both Jamaica and West Indies - were supportive, Nash heard from the region's critics, too.

"Yeah, it was a little bit negative," he said of the reception.

His immediate family, which includes his Jamaican-born parents Andrea and Paul Nash and an older sister, were not immune. Despite the thrill of watching their youngest succeed, the bashing cut deep.

"I was very disappointed in the comments that you heard," said Andrea Nash, who journeyed to Canada to watch her son's debut.

Friends, relatives and teammates have helped his transition to Jamaica. Nash plays for Kingston Cricket Club and is contracted to Morton and Weaste in England's Lancashire League. He is exploring business opportunities in Jamaica as well.

But for now, Nash, who bats and bowls left-handed, is focusing on the game. He played several seasons of first-class cricket for Australia's Queensland Bulls, but struggled to secure a permanent first team place. He was not offered a contract after the 2006-07 season. He turned to Jamaica and made the national squad in October 2007.

Supporting West Indies

Nash was a key part of Jamaica's winning KFC Cup effort, scoring 117 in the final to beat Trinidad and Tobago. His 422 first-class runs, at an average of 46.88, placed him third in the region's batting, but he was not picked by the West Indies against Australia earlier this year. If he had been, Nash said, there would have been no mixed emotions.

"When I left Australia, I said, 'that's it. I want to become a Jamaican, I want to come back to my grass roots, which is my parents'," he explained, before clearing up a few public misconceptions about his loyalty. "It would have been a big challenge because I played with a lot of Australian players. Something was mentioned in the papers saying I didn't know which side I'd support and that was a lie, you know. It was definitely West Indies."

Gordon Williams is a Jamaican journalist based in the United States.