Telecommunication giant Digicel and Cricket West Indies are going their separate ways one year earlier than planned in their sponsorship relationship following a successful 13 year partnership.

Digicel Group CFO, Raymond Leclercq, while wishing Cricket West Indies well, said they “will be cheering the teams on from the stands as passionate fans of the game of cricket in the Caribbean.”

Meanwhile Dominic Warne, Director of Commercial, Marketing and Communications for Cricket West Indies thanked Digicel “for their fantastic support over the past 13 years.” Adding “It has been a great and successful partnership for both Cricket West Indies and Digicel.”

Warne also said CWI is “now primed to take on a number of new initiatives as part of our recently announced strategic plan to make cricket the heartbeat of the Caribbean. We hope to make an announcement on our new long-term Principal Partner soon.”

CEO of Cricket West Indies Johnny Graves in the meantime revealed that a new short term sponsor is to be unveiled. He also indicated that whether this will be a long term sponsorship could be known by the start of the first Test against Sri Lanka next Wednesday.

CWI penned a new deal with Digicel in 2016 that saw the company sponsoring the senior men and women’s international sides along with the Under-19s

The multi-million dollar sponsorship agreement first took effect on the Windies 2004-05 tour of Australia and  came after the withdrawal of telecommunications rivals, Cable and Wireless, who had been long-term sponsors of West Indies cricket.

The announcement of the termination comes just a week before the start of the home series against Sri Lanka, with Tests scheduled for Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad, Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia and Kensington Oval in Barbados, from June 6-27.