With Jamaica set to host international cricket for the third year running, Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) President Dr Donovan Bennett says, compared to previous years, he doesn’t anticipate any major challenges in preparing Sabina Park.

As reported by the Jamaica Observer last September, Sabina Park will host the West Indies’ six-match white ball series against Sri Lanka in June. Although Cricket West Indies (CWI) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have yet to officially announce the tour, the two teams will play three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20s in the space of two weeks.

It will be the second summer in a row where international competition will be played in Kingston following Australia’s tour of the Caribbean last July. It’s also the fourth series in two years for Sabina Park, having hosted South Africa and Bangladesh in 2024.

Last year, preparations for the Aussies’ visit went down to the wire due to the late installation of upgraded lights and a modern scoreboard at Sabina Park, which were provided by the Jamaican and Indian government respectively. There were also other upgrades that were done including the renovation of the players’ dressing rooms.

However, with three months to go, Bennett told the Observer that he doesn’t foresee any difficulties this year as they await the Sri Lankans.

“The fundamentals are there, we just need to produce a good field and a good pitch. Sabina Park was a different place last year – we were so happy to see what took place and how it looked last time around and it’s going to look the same or even better this year,” he said.

Bennett, though, is hoping to immediately tap into the resources of the new owners of Jamaica’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL) franchise, the Kingsmen Sports Enterprise, who have committed to upgrading Sabina Park.

“There are still things to be done, it’s going to take cash [because] it always takes cash to care, so we’re just hoping that with the [CPL] franchise coming in that we can have a fruitful and positive discussion with them because we need additional income to really bring it up to world-class standards. We’re pretty much there but there are still things that we can do to make it a real first-class stadium.”

Despite losing all three matches, the West Indies drew near sold-out crowds at the 20,000-seat Sabina Park for the Test and two T20s against Australia last July.

Bennett says he’s hoping for the same against Sri Lanka, as it would boost the country’s chances of hosting more international cricket.

“That is unprecedented. We have never had anything like that before — six international games in one year — and the reason why we were able to swing that is because of the turnout we had at Sabina Park last year,” he said.

“While a lot of the Caribbean had very low levels of support we had significant levels of support and that is what helped us to achieve what we have this year, so I’m just hoping and I’m imploring the cricketing public to come out in large numbers to support the effort because that is what definitely strengthens our hand to bring more games to Sabina Park in the future.”

Although Sabina Park will host its fourth T20 series in four years, it will be the first time since 2022 and only the second time in nine years that it will stage an ODI.

Sri Lanka has never played a T20 series in Kingston and their most recent ODIs were in 2013 during a tri-nation series involving West Indies and India.

MUMBAI, India — West Indies bowler Akeal Hosein (centre) celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Zimbabwe’s Brian Bennett during the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup Super Eights match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 23, 2026. West Indies lost their decider game to India on Sunday resulting in their exit from the tournament. (Photo: AFP)

Sri Lanka’s Eshan Malinga (second right) celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan during the third and final Twenty20 international cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla on January 11, 2026. (Photo: AFP)

Ground staff cut the grass at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica, on July 9, 2025. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

A section of the crowd in the North Stand at Sabina Park during the first T20 International between West Indies and Australia on July 20, 2025.