In a move that will revolutionise the cricket experience in Jamaica, the Indian Government has generously donated a cutting edge HD scoreboard to Sabina Park, Jamaica’s iconic cricket stadium, valued at approximately US$700,000 ($105 million).

This game-changing gift is set to elevate Sabina Park to international standards, providing a world-class experience for players and spectators alike.

Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) President Dr Donovan Bennett hailed the gift as a “game-changer” that will have a profound impact on Jamaican cricket.

“The Indian Government has always been kind to us. Their previous donation of lights to Sabina Park was a testament to their love for the game, and this new scoreboard is another example of their commitment to our sport. So when we went to them and approached them, it wasn’t a difficult ask. It was an easy ask,” Dr Bennett told the
Jamaica Observer.

The Bangladesh cricket team is scheduled to tour the West Indies in November and December of this year to play the West Indies cricket team. The tour will feature two Test matches, three One-Day Internationals (ODIs), and three Twenty20 Internationals (T20I), with the Test series being part of the prestigious 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship.

And, just in time for the excitement, Sabina Park will unveil its brand-new, state-of-the-art scoreboard. Set to be installed before the second Test match against Bangladesh on November 30 to December 4, this cutting-edge display will feature advanced advertising capabilities and be fitted into the existing frame of the old scoreboard.

“It will be the same size scoreboard that we had before,” Dr Bennett said.

“It is going to be fitted into the existing frame. But we probably will have some advertising features that it didn’t have before. You are talking about the Government of India; they are going to deliver something appropriate for Sabina Park,” Dr Bennett further stated.

Dr Bennett said that this will not only enhance the visual experience for spectators but also provide a new revenue stream for JCA.

But this is just the beginning. Dr Bennett revealed plans to upgrade Sabina Park’s infrastructure, including the lighting system, which currently falls short of international standards.

“We need to get Sabina Park up to scratch. If you go to the eastern Caribbean countries, a lot of the stadiums are well ahead of us. If you go to Kensington in Barbados, they are talking now that they have developed a first-class facility there.

“You go to the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad, again a first-class facility. We are not there. This scoreboard donation marks the start of our journey to retrofit Sabina Park and make it a truly world-class facility,” Dr Bennett explained.

“A lot of people don’t know that the lights we have there don’t really conform to international standards, and so we are going to have to tackle the problem. It is not a cheap problem to fix, and so I think at some point in time we will have to go to the Government with a proposal to get that done,” he added.

Dr Bennett added that the Indian Government’s gift is a clear sign of their dedication to cricket in Jamaica.

“They love the game even more than we do, and their generosity will inspire a new generation of cricketers in Jamaica,” he said.