Nixon: Women’s win can’t be a one-off!
I’ve just got off the plane in Jamaica and am settling in my hotel ahead of another year of the Caribbean Premier League, when we hope to retain the trophy for Jamaica Tallawahs, but a good start is crucial. I’m really looking forward to this year’s tournament. We’ve had a good few weeks of preparation while I’ve still been in the UK analysing our schedules for the next couple of months. I’ve been in regular contact with my players, letting them know their roles and responsibilities.
I’ve been liasing with the marketing team and the general manager and we pull together a daily schedule which is pretty fluid to allow for changes, but it gives us an idea of our travelling days. We’ve got a lot of them, and we have hired our own aircraft this year and will all be travelling together.
We’ve got a camp here in Jamaica for a week before going out to Miami, where we will have our first game of the competition at Fort Lauderdale. We’ve also got a warm-up game against the USA national team, and that is something I’m really looking forward to.
Cricket is growing in the States, and the talent is coming out a lot more. The CPL is very positive in wanting to build bridges with America for their cricket and sport in general and there are plenty of people fascinated in the game.
There is a lot of natural ability, they just lack quality coaching, but I think they’ll become a real force over the next couple of decades. There are plenty of ex-pats, West Indians, Indians and Pakistanis who all love their cricket but it’s just about them coming together.
I’ll be keeping an eye on events back home, though. It’s nice to know that no matter what time you look at your phone, there’s always cricket going on. We vary between being five and six hours behind of the UK, so if I’m not at coaching, my phone will be pinging with ECB updates.
You don’t get many days off as a coach. When you’re not with the guys who are playing – and games come thick and fast – you need to get the lads that aren’t in the XI in the best physical, mental and technical condition that we can.
They know the opportunity will happen for them, but you need to keep everyone happy.
We’ve got no Chris Gayle or Andre Russell this year but I’m confident in my team. Everyone will be raring to go
As I say, a good start is important. We are in a good place with the squad, and we’ve got one young fast bowler called Oshane Thomas, who will be a serious player in the years to come. He’s only 20, but is already bowling 90mph and is only going to get stronger and faster.
Oshane is one that I’d be looking at in the UK to give him that bit of experience. He would benefit from a spell in county cricket and he’s a determined lad who wants to learn. He would run through a brick wall for you, and I’m looking forward to working with him again and seeing him develop.
We’ve got no Chris Gayle or Andre Russell this year, but I’m confident in my team. There are just a few days until the tournament starts, and they will be full of hard work and we’ll be ready for our first match against Barbados Tridents a week tomorrow.
We’ll be looking at everyone’s fitness and form over the next few days. Our bowling coach Andrew Richardson has spent a lot of time in England and has been living with the guys pretty much. He’s kept me in the loop. Everyone will be raring to go in Miami.