The Kingston Cricket Club pavilion at Sabina Park. - File

The Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) is hoping to have lights installed at Sabina Park by 2012 to facilitate the playing of night matches and to bring the venue more in line with international standards.

There is no indication as to when work will actually start or how the project will be funded. However, first vice president of the JCA, Lyndel Wright, confirmed the plans and underlined its importance to the administration and the overall development of the game in Jamaica.

"That's (installation of lights) something that we are definitely looking forward to. It's an extremely important project to this administration both for national and international cricket and we are hoping to get that off the ground as soon as possible."

He was also unable to give an idea of what the project will cost but stressed that the Paul Campbell-led administration is moving towards securing the necessary funds for the project.

No clear answer

"With the varying dollar that we are experiencing, I could not say, at this point. It would be hard to give a clear answer. It's a question of us getting the financing. As soon as we have that in place we will start the project," Wright stated.

The facility, which became a Test ground in 1930, is one of the oldest international cricket venues in the Caribbean and one of the few without lights. It was among those renovated for the 2007 Cricket World Cup at an estimated cost of US$28 million.

Despite the extensive work carried out at the venue leading up to that tournament, including the erection of a new North Stand, lights were never installed to facilitate night games and Wright believes it is time to make the improvement.

It is believed that late evening games will attract more spectators to the venue especially for domestic matches.

"The economic situation makes it more feasible to have games played in the night, or at least day and night games. This would certainly get more spectators out to see the games so we definitely need to go in that direction," Wright reasoned.

"Its important for us to get the lights because without them we will deprive our people of high-level cricket. There are lights at other venues across the region and it will be easier for them to get selected for international games. As a leading territory we need to go in that direction," he added.