Although playing host to several major events over the last few months, Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) President Donovan Bennett says Sabina Park will be sufficiently prepared to host the upcoming Twenty20 (T20) International series between the West Indies and South Africa.

The three-match series, which begins on May 23, will be the first time international cricket will be played in Jamaica since August 2022. The Caribbean men and the Proteas will use these matches as warm-ups to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, starting next month across the Caribbean and USA. Jamaica won’t be a host nation after the Government opted not to submit a bid after a “robust” cost-benefit analysis.

Sabina Park has been actively used over the last two months after hosting the Wray & Nephew Jamaica Premier League play-offs. A total of eight games were played between April 22 and Sunday. The Jamaica Scorpions’ Regional Four Day matches as well as the JCA Senior Cup final has kept the venue busy since February.

However, Bennett is promising there will be no hiccups for the start of the T20 series next week.

“We’ll be ready, there’s no two ways about that,” he told the Jamaica Observer. “During the four-day competition this year, the pitch played better than I’ve ever seen it in a long time. We’ll be providing the same pitches for the T20 games, so, of course, minus any grass at all. It will be a good pitch, it will be a very batsman-friendly pitch and everybody should enjoy themselves.”

Though disappointed, Jamaica won’t be part of the World Cup as a host nation, Bennett says the JCA, which he was elected to lead as president last month, made it its duty to bring the West Indies to the island.

“I reached out to them [Cricket West Indies (CWI) Board] to let them understand that cricket in Jamaica was in a slide and we needed something like a series like this one because we’re not a part of the World Cup. So I said to them, give us some warm-up games,” Bennett said. “These three games were actually down to be played in New York and they immediately changed the venue and gave us three games, which I’m very grateful for. The CWI president [Kishore Shallow] was very understanding of our situation here — what we’ve been through many years, having not had any internationals at all, so we’re very grateful that he was able to do what he did.”

With Jamaica struggling to host international matches in the past, Bennett says it will be a priority to change those fortunes in the near future.

“The entire 2024 and 2025 series of matches have already been allocated,” he said. “We’ve advocated and we’ll be getting a Test match in November against Bangladesh. Going into next year we’ll have to do some more negotiations to get some more games here. West Indies have a full calendar for 2024 and 2025 and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be part of that.”

The West Indies, led by Captain Rovman Powell, a Jamaican, will play their first T20 International against South Africa next Thursday. The final two matches will be played on Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26.

All-rounder Andre Russell and batsman Brandon King are the other Jamaicans expected to feature for the team during the series and the World Cup.