Yearning to play cricket for Jamaica

Former Garvey Maceo and Clarendon College schoolboy cricketer Warren Campbell is yearning to represent Jamaica and the West Indies in cricket.

One of two local cricketers, along with former Wolmer's Boys' School outstanding player Delbert Gayle, on cricket scholarships at the Keyano College in Alberta, Canada, the 25-year-old left-arm orthodox spinner and middle-order batsman is not giving up on his dream.

"Cricket has been my passion forever since, and my goal will always be to represent my country and the West Indies. I have to keep believing in my abilities and know that once I keep working hard and perform well, the rewards will come sooner or later," said Campbell.

Campbell, who resigned from his teaching job at McGrath High in May last year, where he taught Physical Education and Human and Social Biology, believes he still possesses the cricketing prowess to get the opportunity to represent Jamaica.

"I am playing well in all franchise tournaments in Canada, except the Global T20, which is my next aim. I am the captain of my college team, and this year, we won the tournament, and I was named Player of the Match after scoring a century in the final," Campbell said.

He contends that he was close to playing in the West Indies regional tournament a few years ago but has since not been allowed to showcase his talent to the selectors.

"I was captain of Mico University College, and after good performances in the collegiate and Jamaica Cricket Association competitions in 2018, I was called up for the Super 50 trials.

"The following year, I was sent to Barbados for Combined Campuses and Colleges Super 50 trials, where I did extremely well, taking the most wickets. However, I could not get into the final 14 and was only named as a reserve," he said.

Campbell, nonetheless, is not giving up on his dream, the main reason he sacrificed his job to accept the overseas cricket scholarship.

"As long as the dream is big enough, the process is a minimal price to pay," he concluded.