After a two-year absence from the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Jamaica is set to make a major comeback to the region’s premier Twenty20 cricket tournament this summer, backed by a new private franchise owner and a formal five-year commitment from the Jamaican government. This return marks a pivotal turning point for Caribbean cricket, following the 2023 exit of the former Jamaica Tallawahs franchise that stemmed from a public dispute over government financial support.
The country’s new CPL entry, the Jamaica Kingsmen, is owned by U.S.-based Kingsmen Sports Enterprise, and will play all home matches at Kingston’s iconic Sabina Park – the first time the venue has hosted CPL games since 2019. The shift in ownership traces back to 2024, when former Tallawahs owner Kris Persaud, who had purchased the franchise in 2017, sold the team’s rights back to CPL organizers. Persaud went on to launch the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, and publicly cited the Jamaican government’s refusal to provide financial backing as the core reason for his exit, arguing that the tournament delivered widespread economic and social benefits to the country that justified public investment.
Nearly three years after that high-profile departure, Jamaican authorities have brokered a landmark tripartite agreement between the government, CPL governing body, and Kingsmen Sports Enterprise that secures Jamaica’s place in the tournament for the next five years. Jamaican Sports Minister Olivia Grange emphasized that securing the country’s return to the CPL was always a long-term government priority, pushing back against earlier criticism of the 2023 decision to allow the Tallawahs to exit.
“When we made the decision last time that we could not afford to bring CPL back to Jamaica, Government was criticised for it but we knew that in time we would be in a position to do so,” Grange stated during a March 31, 2026 press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus, where the return was officially announced. “Now, we have worked closely with the CPL and they have found a new franchise holder for the Jamaica T20, and Government is fully on board. So, this tripartite agreement is one that we expect to bear fruit. It’s over a period of three to five years, and the new franchise holder has expressed the same vision and objectives that we have.”
Grange also expressed confidence in the new leadership of the franchise, led by owner Fawad Sarwar, noting that the government has already built a strong working relationship with the Kingsmen executive team after the fractured partnership with Persaud. “This franchise holder comes with a good name and a commitment, and I am very impressed with Mr Sarwar and his team,” she said. “We had several meetings and I’m satisfied that they will work towards delivering what they are committed to delivering — and, of course, we will work with them to create a lasting bond and to get the desired results.”
Beyond securing the franchise’s return, the Jamaican government has unveiled an ambitious initiative to reverse the widely discussed decline of cricket across the Caribbean, aiming to restore the sport to its historic prominence in the West Indies. Grange outlined a grassroots development strategy that starts at the early childhood education level, introducing basic batting and bowling skills to young children before expanding into intensive training programs for primary school students.
To inspire the next generation of players, the government will tap retired legendary Jamaican cricketers to lead outreach efforts, including global cricket superstars Chris Gayle and Courtney Walsh. In a move that prioritizes cricket over partisan politics, the administration also plans to involve Wavell Hinds, the opposition spokesperson on sports, in the development push. “It’s not about a divided Jamaica — it’s about cricket and bringing it back to its former glory,” Grange said, adding that “the region is depending on Jamaica” to lead the sport’s revival.
The announcement comes nearly four years after the Jamaica Tallawahs lifted the CPL trophy in the 2022 tournament final held in Guyana, a reminder of the country’s deep cricketing legacy that officials and the new franchise owner aim to build on in the coming years.