Jamaica coach Cleon Smith passes away

Cleon Smith, coach of the Jamaica senior women's team, passed away on Thursday (May 28). The 60-year-old was reportedly ill for quite a while and after being initially treated at the Nuttall Memorial Hospital, was transferred to Kingston Public Hospital where he breathed his last.



Smith, who leaves behind twin daughters and a son, was reportedly battling a heart condition.



Having been part of the coaching system in Jamaica since 1995 - when he worked with male youth teams and doubled up as a scout - Smith leaves behind a gaping hole in Jamaican cricket. He has been a national coach since 2006, with as many as eight titles to his credit.



Smith served as long time coach of St. Ann Cricket Association, also coaching Northern Panthers in the Jamaica Cricket Association Super League - a men's competition - since 2017.



Acknowledging his contributions to Jamaica and West Indies cricket, the West Indies Players' Association extended their condolences to his family and the Jamaican cricket fraternity.



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“I remember working with Mr Smith a few years ago as a national selector," Wayne Lewis, WIPA secretary, said. "I found him to be a disciplined, dedicated and hard-working coach. He got the best out of a number of his players and quite a few of them transitioned to the senior West Indies team. Mr Smith's passing is a massive blow to women's cricket in Jamaica.”



“We pray for peace and strength for his family, friends and colleagues at this time,” the association said.



Smith has also been credited for the development of Stafanie Taylor, West Indies' captain. Under him, Jamaica won several titles in the last decade.



"It is with a deep sense of loss that all of us at CWI heard of the passing of Cleon Smith," said Jimmy Adams, CWI's Director of Cricket, paying tribute to the coach.



"He has been an integral part of the Jamaica cricketing landscape serving as head coach of the country’s women’s national programme for over ten years. Cleon dedicated his life to coaching the game at community, school and regional levels and the game will be left that much poorer by his passing. All of us at CWI wish to convey our deepest condolences to Cleon’s family as we share their grief during this period of mourning."