Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

Paul Campbell, president of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), says the time period specified for the issuing of a government guarantee regarding the implementation of lights at Sabina Park was the main reason behind Jamaica not getting to host matches in next year's ICC World Twenty20 Championship, which will be held here in the Caribbean.

According to Campbell, who is also a member of the event's organising committee, a major requirement from the organisers for hosting matches was the provision of a venue with adequate lighting for the staging of night games.

Documents process

However, because of the opening and closing of the tender bid-documents process, which took 21 days, the government could not adequately assess the proposal of lighting and provide a guarantee, which rendered Jamaica's bid futile.

"There were two reasons why the government turned down the proposal. The number-one reason was the time allowed for the process was short," said Campbell, who is also a director of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

"There was a total of 21 days between the tender document and the close for bids, and the government said they did not have ample time to review.

"Second, they said given the financial challenges facing the country and the contingency liabilities with hosting such a tournament, it would pose a challenge," he lamented.

He added: "There was a process where we had to bid and there were certain guarantees we had to give. If a country did not have light, the requirement was that it would have to give government guarantee that it would be implementing lights, and that did not happen. We could not come up with any government guarantees."

The event will be held in Barbados, Guyana, St Lucia and St Kitts, from Friday, April 30 to Sunday, May 16. It will be contested in two categories: men and women.

The West Indies will contest in Group D in the opening round of the championship alongside England and an ICC affiliate qualifier in Guyana.