Odean Brown poised to attack
LAST year Odean Brown took a record 52 first-class wickets during an extended season as Jamaica romped to the regional title minus a number of its senior players.
For the most part, the champion leg-spin bowler was the trump-card for captain Tamar Lambert, as Jamaica were without pacers Jerome Taylor and Daren Powell and left-arm orthodox spin bowler Nikita Miller.
This year, it’s like déjà vu for the 28-year-old Brown, who has been left yet again to shoulder the burden as Miller (on West Indies duty), Taylor
(injured) and Powell (personal
reasons) are all unavailable for the defending champions.
But in an interview with the Observer on Sunday, the experienced Brown said for him, the situation isn’t unique.
“Once you’re playing on this team, you’re expected to work hard. I think it won’t be a burden because I’ve been doing it year in, year out.
“Nikita wasn’t here last year for the most part and I think I handled
myself well, so I know I can do it again,” he asserts.
By his standards, Brown has had a slow start this season, taking 13 wickets at an average of 28.38. This leaves him in third spot in the Jamaica team in terms of wickets behind medium-pacer David Bernard Jnr (14) and Miller (22), who sits in second on the overall list in the region.
Having played three matches, Jamaica begin the second half of the season with an historic day/night game against the Combined Campuses and Colleges in Guyana.
And with the customary flat wickets in Guyana which tend to suit spinners, Brown is eyeing an improvement in
his returns.
“The wickets are flat in Guyana and the ball does spin, but oftentimes it spins slow, so you have to definitely adjust yourself. I bowled down there last year and I think I handled myself well,” he said.
In Miller’s absence, the Jamaican selectors have drafted in Brown’s clubmate and namesake Bevon Brown (no relation), who bowls off-spin.
The pair has down well for St Catherine CC and the leg-spinner is hoping they’ll be able to turn in similar performances for the national team.
“The season is shorter, but I hope to do well and keep my team in front, and that’s the main aim now… once I turn up I know I will do well,” he said.
Asked about his ambitions of representing the West Indies, Brown — who has taken 118 first-class wickets at 23.30 each — said: “I don’t really think about (getting into the) West Indies team. I just know that I have a job to do when I go out to play for Jamaica, so I just prefer to go out there on the day and try to get the job done.
“We’ve lost a few players in the middle order, but I know with the help of my fellow teammates we’re confident that we can do a good job,” Brown added.