Stakeholders tout cricket revival at Windies vs Sri Lanka series launch
Anthony Davis, chairman of Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) international committee, says the upcoming series against Sri Lanka is about more than results. For him, it’s about rebuilding the team and reconnecting with fans.
“We want to revive cricket, we want to get people coming back to Sabina Park, and we want to motivate youngsters to playing cricket,” Davis said ahead of the tour.
“So in all, this series means to promote cricket a little and get back to the days when the Park was full watching cricket,” he told the Jamaica Observer during the launch of the series held at Courts Constant Spring on Thursday.
The West Indies men are to host their Sri Lankan counterparts for six white-ball matches at Sabina Park in Kingston from June 3 to 14, 2026. The tour includes three One Day Internationals (ODIs) on June 3, 6 and June 8, followed by as many Twenty20 Internationals (T20I) on June 11, 13 and 14.
Davis framed the series as a key step toward the 2028 T20 World Cup, but stressed the importance of restoring the connection between the team and local fans.
“We are working towards our qualification for the T20 World Cup,” he said.
“I am expecting a good performance because I believe the players are all determined and everybody is motivated to perform well at home. Usually, when you are playing at home, you get that little extra push to perform at your best,” he added.
The committee chairman said the focus is on consistency and effort across both formats.
“We are looking forward to consistency in performance and everybody doing the best they can. We are confident that whatever the results are, our players would have done the best they can under whatever circumstances,” he said.
Courts Jamaica Limited has come on-board as a major sponsor for the West Indies-Sri Lanka series, with the company also handling ticket sales for the six matches at Sabina Park.
Ann Marie Walters, managing director for Unicomer (Courts Jamaica), said the partnership reflects a long-standing relationship between Courts and West Indies cricket.
“We are playing against Sri Lanka and the partnership is showing how we are going to work together as a team,” Walters told the Observer.
She noted that Courts has sponsored West Indies cricket for about 20 years and continues to play a key role in supporting the sport across the region.
“The launch really is to cement the sponsorship and the relationship that we have. It is not only Jamaica but across the Caribbean. Wherever CWI is playing, Courts will be part of the sponsorship,” she ended.
June 3 will be dedicated to the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA), with CWI giving away complimentary tickets to allow schoolchildren to attend the games.
Ewan Scott, competition officer at ISSA, said the initiative goes beyond the opening match. He also said that this move is aimed at exposing young athletes to international cricket firsthand and inspiring the next generation of players across multiple sports.
“There are other aspects of the partnership, and it’s not just June 3 for ISSA. Throughout the series, kids who play cricket and all other sports will get the opportunity to come in and watch our West Indies players,” Scott said.
“This is a big thing. A lot of these sportsmen want to see the big stars up front and live. Getting the opportunity to go in and watch them without worrying about cost — we really appreciate the effort,” Scott stated.