AHEAD of the highly anticipated West Indies home series this summer, Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) President Dr Donovan Bennett says the association is putting more emphasis on preparation at Sabina Park, given the stature of the top-ranked Australia team.

The island’s premier cricket venue will host the third Test between the Windies and the visiting Aussies from July 12-16, as well as the first two T20 Internationals on July 20 and July 22.

It will be the first time in a decade that Sabina Park will host the Australians and the first visit by the top-ranked team in the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings to Jamaica since India’s visit in 2019.

The match will also be of significance as it will be the first time in history that the venue will host a day/night pink ball Test, and just the second time such a match will take place in the Caribbean.

Dr Bennett told the Jamaica Observer that preparations for the historic Test are on track, with the $75-million lighting upgrade at Sabina Park as well as the installation of a modern scoreboard set for completion in the coming weeks.

“Unless something really untoward happens, the lights will be up; they have been shipped and are on their way to Jamaica as we speak. The scoreboard will be ready because India has built the scoreboard, tested it and shipped it, so everything is on course. So, like I said, unless something really untoward happens, everything should be a go for the Australia tour,” he said.

Dr Bennett says Australia’s popularity is not being taken lightly as the JCA is making every effort to be ready for the tour.

“We’re not just hosting any team, we’re hosting a team who, by the time the series comes around, will probably be crowned world Test champions — so it’s a big thing. With proper marketing and tickets coming on sale we expect to have significant attendance at the games,” he said.

Dr Bennett, however, doesn’t anticipate the facility meeting international standards within a few months, but assures that they will do everything possible nonetheless.

“The thing with Sabina Park now is you’ll see a lot of work being done to enhance the stadium and bring it near to world standards. I don’t think we’ll get to world standards anytime soon — we’re way behind what the stadium should be — but we’re working on it,” he said.

“We have been working and hopefully, with what we plan to do it will be a better experience for the fans this time around.”

Sabina Park’s capacity is 20,000 and has only reached that limit in recent years with the Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League and the play-offs of the Jamaica Premier League.

Less than half were in attendance for the Bangladesh Test last November when the Windies lost by 101 runs.

However, Dr Bennett is optimistic that Jamaicans will turn out in their numbers come July.

“We expect a full stadium. Tickets are now on sale, and we insisted tickets should go on sale early because in previous years tickets were being offered a week or two before a Test match. But now tickets are already on sale, which is three months before the Test, which gives us the opportunity to do significant marketing,” he said.