Modern sport is not merely about having fun and providing entertainment for audiences. It is also very much about making money.

We are grateful to Mr Ian MacDonald, chief executive officer at Triple Gold Rums Limited — linked to cricket icon Mr Christopher Gayle — for reminding us of that basic but oft forgotten fact.

Commenting on a partnership between a revived Jamaica-based Caribbean Premier League (CPL) cricket franchise, the Jamaica Kingsmen — which has replaced the Jamaica Tallawahs — and the newly minted rum company, Mr MacDonald said it was strictly good business.

According to Mr MacDonald, while Mr Gayle’s “heart” may have influenced the decision to partner rum with cricket, he as a hard-nosed businessman and administrator saw no downsides.

“This is near and dear, it’s part of Chris’s DNA so it’s a natural fit. I’m a P and L (profit and loss) guy, so everything has to have a return on the investment and I see this as a great investment. I believe in the Jamaican Kingsmen, I believe having a CPL product back in Jamaica is important. I think the Kingsmen will put a quality product on the field, and I think this will expose our brand to many Jamaicans who are just trying it for the first time,” Mr MacDonald said.

He added that “… it is about dollars and cents … but for Chris I think it touches his heart more. There has to be that balance… you can’t do everything on your heart, it has to make business sense, but luckily for us this one makes sense on both levels…”

An upbeat Mr Atishai Mansingh, head of operations for the Jamaica Kingsmen, insisted that the franchise would not be disappearing “anytime soon” and would be expecting to have Triple Gold Rums and its premium brand Rich Rum “with us all the way”.

Beyond business, the expectation is that the return of a Jamaica franchise will bring much-needed boost to cricket in Jamaica, which has struggled in recent years. We are reminded that CPL cricket has not been played here since 2019. As we understand it, that was largely the result of a falling out between the owners of the former Jamaica Tallawahs and the Jamaican Government.

To compound challenges for local cricket, the Jamaican Government — citing high costs — also declined the opportunity to host games during the 2024 ICC T20 Cricket World Cup, which took place in the Caribbean and the USA.

We are heartened by indications in more recent times — mostly transmitted through Sports Minister Ms Olivia Grange — that the Government remains intent on actively supporting and nurturing Jamaica’s cricket.

Crucially, we note that owners of the Kingsmen franchise have voiced an interest in partnering with Jamaican authorities in upgrading Sabina Park, the historic headquarters of cricket here.

The Jamaica Kingsmen were playing their opening game of the 2026 CPL at Arnos Vale in St Vincent as this newspaper went to the printing press late Friday. They are also scheduled to play four games at Sabina starting on Tuesday.

We expect that Jamaican cricket lovers will demonstrate their support with their presence at Sabina in large numbers.