As the countdown ticks toward the historic first-ever pink-ball Test match in Jamaica, President of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), Dr. Donovan Bennett, is standing firm in his belief that Sabina Park is ready to shine—literally and figuratively—despite lingering concerns over whether the newly installed floodlights will live up to expectations.

The iconic venue, which has seen the full arc of West Indies cricket glory, is set to host the third and final Test between West Indies and Australia this Saturday under lights, which marks a significant moment in Caribbean cricket history. But questions loom about the readiness of the venue, particularly since the lights have yet to be tested in a competitive match scenario.

Still, Dr. Bennett remains optimistic.

"Everything is good. We’re doing the final tuning of the lights right now, and the gentleman from England who came in to complete the job has assured me they’ll be finished by 10:00 (Wednesday) tonight. So we should be ready for the game," he said confidently on the Mason and Guest show.

The lighting system was sourced and installed through an international partnership, with laser-based technology being used to calibrate the setup to meet international standards. Despite no formal match trial being conducted under the lights, Bennett says he trusts the process and the professionals involved.

"Well, based on what I've been told, I have no concerns. I would still like to see the final testing being done and then everything being up to scratch. But based on what the experts have told me about what they've done so far, they are confident that everything will be good to go," Bennett shared, though he acknowledged the unease expressed by cricketing great Carl Hooper.

"He’s got a point. Ideally, you would have a match test before, but we went along the journey of engaging in an English partnership to supply new lights with a clear understanding of what the standards were and what we required. And they came in, and they're doing their stuff, and they have shown us that come game night, the lights will be above minimum standard. So that is all I can say, and that is what I expect," Bennett declared.

Beyond the spotlight—both literal and symbolic—Bennett is also focused on turning the tide of poor spectator turnout for Test matches in Jamaica. Historically, Sabina Park has struggled to pull crowds for the longer format, but the JCA president remains hopeful this will be different, though Australia hold an unassailable 2-0 lead.

"The ticket sales have been encouraging, and they haven't started printing actual tickets. All the sales so far have been electronic sales. And you know, there are a lot of people of a certain age group who like to have actual tickets in their hands. So, as we speak, the ticketing machines have just come into the island. We just cleared them, as a matter of fact. And they will start printing tickets tonight. So I hope that tomorrow, when tickets, when physical tickets go on sale, we have an upsurge," Bennett explained.

He also pointed out that official merchandise, such as shirts, caps, and other paraphernalia, had just landed in the country and would be available in time for match day.

Bennett also pushed back against the longstanding narrative that Jamaica does not support Test cricket, as he recalled his own schoolboy days across the street from Sabina Park.

"If you had come to Jamaica last year when we had the South Africans here pre-World Cup, you'd have seen a pretty good crowd in the stadium. I can remember having to climb a tree to watch this cricket because the stands were always packed. But over time, crowd turnout started to reflect the star power—or lack thereof—on the field," Bennett opined.

"But certainly the problem that we have is across the Caribbean now, because nobody really watches Test cricket in any numbers in any Caribbean territory at this point in time. And it has to do with the level of excitement that is created," he ended.