Aldane Thomas

St Mary Cricket Association manager Donovan Campbell is crying foul at the omission of senior national wicketkeeper Aldane Thomas from the Jamaica Under-19 squad for the upcoming West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) tournament to be held in St Kitts.

The 18-year-old Thomas, who made his senior team debut in January during the Caribbean Twenty20 Tournament, was omitted from the team's 14-member squad after failing to gain an invitation to recent national Under-19 trials.

According to Wavell Hinds, chairman of the national Under-19 selection panel, Thomas was not invited to the trials due to members of the panel not getting enough chance to look at Thomas prior to the naming of players for the trials.

This Hinds explained was largely due to Thomas not participating in this season's Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) rural area Headley Cup competition.

Thomas, a student of Holmwood Technical, missed the competition after failing to meet ISSA's eligibility requirement of attaining at least 45 per cent in four subjects and an attendance record of at least 80 per cent.

However, according to Campbell, he believes Thomas from Albion Mountain in St Mary, was unjustly treated. He said the issue of Thomas not playing Headley Cup cricket was largely an issue for his school to take on.

"I don't think he was treated unfairly," said Campbell. "I believe a school issue such as the one at hand should have been dealt with internally. It should not have been the main factor why he was ruled out of the national programme.

"Additionally, school competitions are not the only thing that are used to select players and after playing a few games for us in the JCA Limited Overs Tournament before the naming of players for the trials, he should have at least been given a chance to show his form."

Campbell, who is in his first year as manager of St Mary, also explained the matter has affected Thomas, who towards the latter part of the JCA Limited Overs tournament was not his 'usual self'.

Added Campbell: "As an association, we have not come to a formal position as yet, but based on what I am hearing, I don't think we are going to let the issue go by the wayside, and this could go all the way to the JCA board."

The national Under-19 squad is scheduled to leave tomorrow for the regional Under-19 tournament, which bowls off this weekend.

Jamaica U-19 squad: Ramaal Lewis (capt), Fabian Allen (vice-captain), Romaine Morris (wk), Marquino Mindley, Christopher Powell, Tristan Coleman, Odaine McCatty, Dennis McGarvey, Roshane Manning, Brandon King, Nicholas Walters, Malcolm Whyte, Leroy Lugg, and Thavi Spencer.