Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) President Dr. Donovan Bennett has unveiled ambitious plans for the J$100 million investment from the Jamaican Government, emphasizing that the funds will be strategically used to revitalize youth cricket and expand grassroots development across the island.
Speaking exclusively with Sportsmax.TV at the Melbourne Cricket Club/Pure Water 5K Walk/Run launch on Wednesday, Dr. Bennett confirmed that the JCA’s approach will prioritize building talent from the grassroots level, ensuring a stronger pipeline of players for the future.
"Our new board has taken a firm stance that we are not going to start from above and work down; we are going to work from below upwards," he said.
Minister of Sport Olivia Grange, who also spoke at the event, confirmed that the first J$40 million tranche of the J$100 million investment will be rolled out this year, marking the beginning of the three-year initiative.
"This year, J$40 million will roll out because it's over a three-year period," Minister Grange stated.
She further revealed that some of the funds will be disbursed before the end of February, with a portion going toward women’s cricket in recognition of Jamaica’s victory in the 2023 Women’s Super50 tournament. "We are hoping that before the end of the month, we can disburse some of those funds to women's cricket, to the team that did well last year," she said.
Jamaica's Women team won the Super50 tournament in 2024.
Beyond women’s cricket, the government will collaborate with the JCA to finalize how the remainder of the J$40 million will be distributed, with a strong emphasis on grassroots development.
"We will sit and discuss with the JCA and other cricket interests how we spend the remainder of the J$40 million, but I want to focus a lot on the development side," she added.
Dr. Bennett elaborated on how the JCA intends to utilize the government’s investment, confirming that a significant portion will be directed toward prep school, primary school, Under-13, and Under-15 programmes for both boys and girls.
The talent identification initiative, which successfully scouted over 200 young players in 2024, will be expanded, ensuring that even more promising young cricketers are identified, nurtured, and developed.
"A lot of that money will be spent on prep school, primary school, U13, U15 cricket, both genders included. It will be on a talent identification programme initially," he explained.
The JCA will also replicate the successful U-13 programme from 2024, which resulted in Jamaica sending its first-ever representative Under-13 team to Trinidad.
"We will do that all over again," Dr. Bennett affirmed.
Dr Donovan Bennett
In addition to youth scouting and development, the JCA has secured funding through Cricket West Indies (CWI) to establish a more structured coaching and talent development pathway.
This includes the hiring of:
✅ Two pathway coaches (one for males, one for females)
✅ An analyst to study player performance
✅ A dedicated talent identification officer to scout players across Jamaica
✅ A coaching certification coordinator to train Level 1 coaches for primary schools
"We now have someone who will run a coaching certification programme because we want to get as many Level 1 coaches into primary schools. All of that is part of what we intend to do," Dr. Bennett outlined.
Minister Grange emphasized that the investment is part of a broader government commitment to rebuilding cricket at all levels, not just for men, but also for women and youth players.
"We have to start at home. That is why we have committed J$100 million over three years to work closely with the JCA and other cricket stakeholders to implement programmes, starting at the basic school level," she said.
She also hinted that the government is engaging a well-known former cricketer to assist in driving the development programme, ensuring young players receive world-class mentorship.
"I am also in discussions with a well-known cricketer to engage his services so that he can also be a part of driving that development programme," she revealed.
Minister Grange also clarified that the J$100 million investment is strictly for cricket development and not infrastructure projects, addressing speculation that some of the funds might have been used for the lighting upgrades at Sabina Park.
"When the JCA president contacted me about funding the lights at Sabina Park, he thought we could have used these funds for the deposit. But these funds were not earmarked for infrastructure, only for development," she explained.
Instead, the government found alternative funding sources to secure the J$75 million needed for the stadium lights, ensuring that the day-night Test between West Indies and Australia in July can proceed as planned.
With structured plans and strategic partnerships in place, both the JCA and the government are confident that this investment will lead to long-term success for Jamaica’s cricketing future.
"In another five years, it will make a significant difference to the talent pool that we have in Jamaica," Dr. Bennett predicted.
With youth-focused initiatives and an overhauled development structure, this J$100 million investment could reshape the future of Jamaican cricket, producing the next generation of stars for both Jamaica and the West Indies.