‘I Know Nothing’—JCA CEO Francis in the Dark Over Alleged Ouster After 20 Years
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) CEO Courtney Francis has declared he is still in the dark about his reported dismissal, insisting he has received no formal notice that his two-decade tenure is coming to an end.
JCA CEO, Courtney Francis (c), in conversation with Jamaica Scorpion coaches Terrence Corke (i) and Robert Haynes.Francis, who has run the JCA’s day‑to‑day operations since 2013, says he first learned of a possible exit under bizarre circumstances, when he was asked to leave his own board meeting.
“We were going through the agenda, and the item of staff restructuring came up. Then the first vice‑president, Fritz Harris, requested that I excuse myself from the meeting,” Francis said.
He complied, but no explanation followed. Since then, speculation has run wild that he will step down, or be pushed out, effective May 1.
“I have not received any formal communication from the board or the president,” Francis said. “But I have been getting a lot of calls asking about the news that I am out as of May 1. As far as I am concerned, I remain the CEO, and I will continue to perform my duties with diligence until further notice.”
On Thursday, Francis fired off a letter to JCA President Dr Donovan Bennett demanding urgent clarity.
“I asked for a clear answer. Am I still the CEO, and if not, what is the basis for that decision? I have served this association diligently since 2006, and I believe I am owed that much,” he said.
Francis added he has no knowledge of any performance or disciplinary issues that would justify removal, and that the rumoured restructuring has never been shared with him in writing.
A board member, acting on condition of anonymity on Thursday, would not confirm or deny Francis’s ouster.
Francis started at the JCA in 2006 and took the helm of CEO in 2013, steering the JCA through financial turbulence, pandemic disruptions, and the ongoing challenge of reviving grassroots cricket in Jamaica.
For now, Francis says he will report to work as usual on Monday, May 2, unless told otherwise in writing.
“I’ve done my job honourably. I’m not going to react to rumours,” he said. “But the board owes me, and the cricket public, an answer.”
