JIMMY ADAMS made his debut for Jamaica in 1985 and between then and 2003, 18 years in which he also played with distinction for the West Indies, he was almost a perfect ambassador.

On the field, the left-hander played 55 matches for Jamaica, he scored 3,830 runs with 11 centuries including a top score of 203 not out, at an average of 46.14.

He played 54 Test matches for the West Indies, he scored 3,012 runs with six centuries, including a top score of 208 not out, at an average of 41.26.

Apart from, at times, serving as the wicketkeeper on both teams, apart from bowling a few overs of left-arm spin and pocketing five wickets for 17 runs on one occasion, apart from being a brilliant fielder anywhere, but more so at gully and at short-leg, he also captained Jamaica and the West Indies.

Off the field, he was a gentleman - a man who made every Jamaican and West Indian proud that he was a Jamaican and a West Indian.

Congrats all around

A few days ago, it was announced that Adams will be taking over as the country's technical director as of December 1

Congratulations to the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) for a wise and wonderful selection.

Based on the whispers that were doing the rounds for some time, it appeared that the technical director would have been an Australian, and now that it is a Jamaican, a West Indian, the JCA deserves two pats on the back.

One, for choosing a Jamaican, a West Indian, and another for choosing not only a Jamaican and a West Indian, but for picking a good Jamaican and a good West Indian.

The consensus around the region, and especially so by those in the corridors of power, is that West Indian coaches are no good.

That although there may be a couple good ones around, West Indians do not listen to West Indians, and that is why West Indies cricket, at the top and for some time now, is in the hands of foreign coaches - Australian coaches.

Wrong selections

That, however, is nonsense. There are good West Indian coaches and, if supported by the West Indies board, West Indies players will have to listen to them or will learn to listen to them.

The problem, however, is that the territories, most times, probably due to expediency, probably because of the lack of money, have made the wrong selections as coaches.

Most times the territories go for the man who is available - the man who loves the game; the man who, although he knows little or nothing about coaching, spends a lot of time with players; the man who does not want the kind of salary which the territories cannot afford; and the man who, on top of everything else, spends little time, as little time as possible, coaching.

In selecting its technical director, however, in selecting Adams as the man with responsibility for the development of Jamaica's cricketers and therefore of Jamaica's cricket, the JCA has gone for a man of outstanding credentials.

Top-class player

The JCA has gone for a man who, unlike the natural geniuses of this world, developed himself into a top-class player, a man who knows the technical side of the game and who should understand the problems of the not so gifted.

Adams is also a man who, with such service and records in first-class and Test cricket, has been in the trenches and knows how to compete.

Also, as a former captain, he knows the game, how to lead and how to get the best out of people.

He is a man who is blessed with a personality that allows him to get along with people, who makes people, and especially so young players, respect him, and that is great.

Lifting standards

Adams is a man who dedicates and commits himself to whatever he is doing. And it is almost a safe bet that in his bid to lift the standard of Jamaica's players and, therefore, Jamaica's cricket to another level, he will be dedicated and committed.

I remember Adams as an attractive strokeplayer in his young days and my hope is that, as technical director, he will encourage his batsmen to be entertaining, as much as possible and as often as possible.

I hope he will encourage his fast bowlers, whoever wish to do so, to bowl as fast as possible, to swing and to cut the ball as much and as often as possible, and his slow bowlers to master flight and spin - to experiment, to practice, and then to perfect things like the googly, the top-spinner, the chinaman, etc.

Thank you JCA, thank you president Paul Campbell, and good luck Jimmy Adams.

Weak regional team

Right now there are eight Jamaicans in the West Indies one-day squad, seven of whom played in the team for the first match against Pakistan on Wednesday, seven of whom played in the second match on Friday, and that would suggest that the standard of Jamaica's cricket is good.

When one remembers the many simple mistakes committed by the West Indies team in the past 10, 11 or 12 years, however, and also those which cost the team the past two matches, it could be that in regional cricket, Jamaica's cricket is like a one-eyed man in a blind man's country.

When it comes to quality, the West Indies team is weak, it is ranked at number eight out of 11 in the world in one-day cricket and is above only Bangladesh, Ireland, Zimbabwe and Kenya, and that means there is still a way to go for Jamaica's cricket.

This, therefore, could be the start of some thing good, not only for Jamaica's cricket but also for West Indies cricket.

My hope is that Adams will be allowed to do his thing, and that those on the board, or around the board (many of whom do not know anything about the game, and definitely so not anything in comparison to one like Adams) will not interfere; will not even attempt to flex their muscles in an effort to parade themselves.