Cricket, the sport of sports in Jamaica and the West Indies since the turn of the century, the sport which is credited for bringing so much glory and recognition to the islands of the English-speaking Caribbean and Guyana, the sport which has made the people proud, and the sport which, to many, has been the most influential in West Indian unity, has been losing its appeal in recent years.
Once the most important sport in the country, the sport which attracted thousands of spectators in years gone by, the sport for which sponsorship in one form or another was easy to find, cricket in Jamaica is now at a stage where very few bother to watch it and sponsors are hard to find.
Ask anyone, including many of those vested with the responsibility for its development, what is the reason for what is happening to the sport in Jamaica and he will tell you that cricket is suffering, not only from the recent achievements of football, but also from the influx of American sports.
That, however, is only a part of the reason - and a small part at that.
The reason for the present predicament of cricket is cricket itself, for although, and unlike the years before, there are more sports around and people have a choice in what they watch, although there are more sports seeking the sponsors' money, the people still love and respect cricket, and so do sponsors.
There is, however, one big problem with cricket, and until it is recognised and something done about it, nothing will change. In fact, things will get worse.
The big problem is the standard of play - especially the quality of batting, and until it improves, hardly anyone, but for the rural folks who are starved of and hungry for first class cricket, is going to waste his time and turn up. And as far as the sponsors are concerned, they will, as they have been doing recently, put their money elsewhere.
Sport is action, cricket, as a sport, is action, and Jamaicans are fed up with watching Jamaica's best batsmen pushing and prodding regardless of the condition of the pitch, the quality of the bowlers, and the state of the game.
Sometimes the pitch, the bowlers, and the state of the game demands a certain approach, and the good batsmen is one who can adapt.
Too often, however, Jamaica's batsmen send the fans to sleep - as was the case on Wednesday when, in a practice match, on a good pitch, and against average bowlers, they crawled to 173 for five off 64 overs. It was even worse for the fans when the West Indies ``A'' team batted. At lunch on Friday, in a match in which it mattered not who won or who lost, the scoreboard read 184 for four off 82 overs.
Something, somehow, has to be done to make the cricketers of Jamaica, especially the batsmen, understand that cricket is entertainment, that they are not there to show off their watches and bracelets, but rather to bowl with energy, to run for the ball, if necessary to throw themselves at it in an effort to save a run or two, and generally to hit the ball.
That is what cricket is about, and that is what the fans want to see. Watching last week's match was like watching a net session. The players, the majority of them on both sides, appeared as if they were not interested in playing.
That has to change. Jamaica's cricketers, especially the batsmen, have to win back the fans. If they do, football or no football, they will also win back the sponsors. Sponsorship is no longer charity, it is marketing, and once there is business there will be enough to go around.
It is not everyday that Jamaica can or will produce, as far as exciting strokeplay is concerned, batsmen the calibre of George Headley, Kenneth ``Bam Bam'' Weekes, J. K. Holt Jnr., Collie Smith, Lawrence Rowe and Jeffrey Dujon; and no one is asking the present crop to swipe.
It is important, however, that the country's batsmen understand, or be made to understand, that good cricket, especially exciting batting, attracts spectators and that sponsors are attracted to what attracts people. It is as simple as that.