Perry to challenge Harris for JCA vice-president role

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Former West Indies spinner Nehemiah Perry has thrown his hat in the ring to become the Jamaica Cricket Association’s (JCA) next vice-president.

While current president Michael Bennett will be unopposed when the JCA holds its Annual General Meeting and elections on May 28, the 57-year-old Perry will challenge incumbent Fritz Harris for the post of vice-president.

Perry, who played 21 One Day Internationals and four Test matches for the West Indies and is the Kingston Cricket Club president, said tough decisions needed to be made to improve the state of cricket on the island.

“I believe we have not improved cricket over how many years now. The executive needs to take the bull by the horns and start to make some serious decisions as it relates to cricket,” Perry told the Jamaica Observer.

He said that while a lack of financial support was one of the JCA’s major Achilles heels, it was an area he would be able to assist in.

“A lot of persons would have known me through cricket or the insurance business… I’m not happy with where we are now as it relates to funding. We need funds to [run] our programmes and we just don’t have it.

“I don’t look at it as a challenge; I look at it as adding some value to the executive of the JCA. I have no agenda but to help to develop cricket. I like Fritz, [he is] my friend, but it’s a democratic world and I think I can help more at that level as part of the executive that makes these decisions,” Perry said.

“I believe that a man of my calibre and standards would bring a little bit more knowledge about the kind of improvement that we need and the kind of structure that we need.”

Elsewhere on the executive, the incumbent secretary, Laurence Garriques is to be challenged by Anthony Davis; Randy Nelson and Keith Walford will be vying for the assistant secretary position; incumbent Kerry Scott and challenger Hopeton Morrison are to contest the job as treasurer and Michael Atterbury and Ian Spencer are set to square off for the post of assistant treasurer. Peter Douglas is unopposed for the second vice-president role.

CMC