Western Bureau:

The much-anticipated inaugural staging of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) cricket tournament is now on in earnest and, like I did for tournaments like the Indian Premier and the Australian Big Bash, I plan to watch as many games as possible.

However, despite my delight at seeing top-flight Twenty/20 cricket being played here in the Caribbean, I must nonetheless register my disappointment in the fact that, unlike the other islands in the region, Jamaica, because of structural inefficiencies, will not be staging any night matches.

Personally, I believe this sad scenario is most embarrassing, especially when one considers what sports, including cricket, has done for Jamaica in terms of recognition and especially against the background that in Christopher Gayle and Marlon Samuels we have two of the biggest superstars in this version of the game.

As I have stated repeatedly in this column, despite the Government's bold talk on matters concerning sports tourism and the development of a so-called National Sporting Policy, outside of lip service, it seems quite clear to me that it is ill-equipped to focus on sports as a critical component of nation-building.

In watching Tuesday night's opening game between host Barbados Tridents and the St Lucia Zooks, which was played under floodlights before a sell-out crowd at Kensington Oval, I could not help but feel a tinge of jealousy, knowing that the only difference between Jamaica and Barbados is that they understand what sports development is all about and we don't.

On account of that difference, the average fan in Barbados is able to go to work, do a full day and, at the end of the day, go home, grab a shower and a meal and head off to night cricket. And, because the games end at a decent hour in the night, there is also enough time for sleep, which would allow them to still be fresh when they go off to work in the morning.

Unfortunately for Jamaican fans, they are faced with two difficult choices. With games starting at approximately 2 p.m., they must either skip work to see the game or miss the games and go to work. A counterproductive decision, regardless of what choice is made.

The untidy scenario here in Jamaica again brings into sharp focus the lack of vision that went into the construction of a facility like the US$30m Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium, which despite its strategic location in the heart of the tourism and sugar belt, which normally guarantees a strong fan base, was constructed without floodlights, rendering it useless for sports at night.

Like in other aspects of national life, it would appear that sports, which has done so much for Brand Jamaica, is in no way insulated from the bad treatment other sectors are getting from the government. Had our Government been serious, there is no way Sabina Park, the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium and Jarrett Park would be without sporting floodlights.

As disappointed as I am from a Jamaican perspective, I intend to make the most of getting as much entertainment as possible out of the inaugural CPL. While I am sure that I will miss the games played here in Jamaica, thanks to the vision of the leaders in the wider Caribbean, I will be able to enjoy their night cricket via television.

Feel free to send your feedback to adrianfrater@hotmail.com.