Decades ago, current CEO of Cricket West Indies Mr Chris Dehring played as a batsman for Jamaica’s Under-19 cricket team. So, he spoke with first-hand knowledge when he explained recently that “when the bowler bounces, and it flies past a batsman’s face, you make him smell the leather…”

In fact, that cricket ball flying past the batsman’s nose as he takes evasive action is often referred to as a wake-up call. Others call it a reality check.

Hence Mr Dehring’s advice to Jamaica’s business leaders that “you need to smell the leather because a gentleman born and raised in Pakistan has come to us via Dallas and recognised the investment opportunity of cricket in Jamaica…”

Mr Dehring, a former investment banker, was referring to Mr Fawad Sarwar, owner of Kingsmen Sports Enterprise.

That company now owns the Jamaica franchise in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). The 2026 edition of that popular annual Twenty20 cricket tournament is set for mid-year with four games scheduled for Sabina Park, Jamaica’s historic headquarters of cricket.

We are reminded that Sabina Park, which cost more than US$30 million to rebuild ahead of the 2007 Cricket World Cup, last hosted CPL games in 2019.

A lukewarm relationship between the franchise management and the Jamaican Government ended three years ago. Then owner of the Jamaica Tallawahs franchise, Mr Kris Persaud, reportedly complained that the Jamaican Government refused to “provide any financial support, [despite] tremendous economic and social benefits” from connected events “in and out of Jamaica”.

In his recent mild chiding of the local business sector, Mr Dehring pointed to growing opportunities to earn from sports.

Said he:”Sports tourism is the fastest-growing segment of the sports industry, and it is also the fastest-growing segment of the tourism industry.”

Further, sports, tourism, and Jamaica are interconnected, and when potential investors think about sports and tourism they should be eyeing this country.

In terms of cricket as a potential revenue earner it does seem the Government is now smelling the leather.

From previously spurning the CPL and declining hosting rights for the 2024 Cricket World Cup because it was considered too costly, we note that the Andrew Holness-led Government is talking enthusiastically about embracing cricket.

That’s notwithstanding in excess of US$12-billion damage wrought by Hurricane Melissa in late October.

Sports Minister Ms Olivia Grange tells us that, in playing its role in bringing cricket “back to its former glory in the West Indies”, the Jamaican Government will be starting “at the basic school level… and at the primary level we’re going into an intense programme”.

We hear from the Kingsmen Sports Enterprise that it wants to invest in Sabina Park — which dates back to the latter 1800s — to help bring it to a standard which would readily attract international cricket and its followers.

Also, president of the Jamaica Cricket Association Dr Donovan Bennett paints an intriguing picture of Sabina Park earning revenue as a fitness centre for corporate personalities in downtown Kingston.

Our thoughts also drift to the immense potential of the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium which was built ahead of the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Like the Sabina rebuild, the Trelawny stadium cost in excess of US$30 million.

But that’s for another discussion.