ICC Twenty20 Championship : Eyes of the cricket world on the Region

Jun 23, 2009 Sports

By Rawle Welch
The ICC Twenty20 Cricket Championship will be played in three Caribbean countries next year and the challenge for the region right now is whether we could do a job comparable to what was witnessed at the recently concluded tournament in England.
Having hosted Cricket World Cup 2007, many of the playing venues in the Caribbean were either spruced up or spanking new facilities built, so the issue of aesthetics and our ability to accommodate large crowds have been thrown out the window when one considers the tender age of those stadiums.
That leaves the most important aspect of hosting any event as the central issue and that is what sort of hosts we are going to be.
A region with little experience with reference to staging events of such magnitude, it was reported that the ICC and other influential figures in the sport were not impressed with our performance at the last World Cup.
However, by the time next year’s tournament comes around, it will be three years since that endeavour and definitely much more equipped with experience at hosting competitions on such a scale.
Guyana, Barbados and St. Lucia are the three countries selected to stage matches in the tournament and apart from a few glitches here and there, they were among the host territories that did well in 2007.
According to many, though some hitches occurred, it certainly did not impact negatively on their individual performances.

All the requisite information and blueprint necessary to duplicate the last feat should still be in the possession of the relevant stakeholders to draw on and perhaps a couple of adjustments could be made to guarantee the tournament’s complete success.
South Africa and more recently England showed us how it must be done and even though the cost of staging the event will be borne by the ICC, we must ensure that some of the unfortunate memories from two years ago are completely forgotten and that those who arrive in the Caribbean to witness the games leave with a more positive image about our hospitality.
The eyes of the cricket world will be on us for 16 days (April 23 to May 9) of competition in the most exciting format of the game that is unrivalled and played before packed audiences.
Unlike, Cricket World Cup where it was felt that the ICC took away the spirit of our culture, the mode that characterises how West Indians watch and celebrate cricket, as the host we must appeal to the governing body to be less stringent in its rules that govern the way in which fans are allowed to attend matches.
West Indian fans are perhaps the most unique set of supporters in the world; they take food baskets, drinks and a host of other stuff to the grounds, all originating from home, but necessary for the enjoyment of the day’s play.

The WICB has already appointed Ernest Hillaire, a prominent attorney-at-law from St. Lucia as tournament director, but just to certify the tournament’s success, perhaps soliciting the expertise of South African Steve Elworthy, who acted in a similar capacity for the two previous competitions might not be a bad idea, if it has not been done by now.
Hillaire, though, from all appearances seems to have the credentials, having served as Chief Executive Officer for St. Lucia’s leg of CWC 2007, and that could possibly have been the decisive factor that the WICB used to assign him to that position.
We are 10 months away from game time and so far from a local standpoint very little in terms of promotion has started, but hopefully, the discussions on setting up Local Organising Committees are ongoing and the wheels of motion will be set and running very soon.
It must be remembered that the Twenty20 version has attracted an extremely large and wider fan base with non-traditional support now on board due to its exhilarating and entertaining style, while the experience is not just for the young, but the old as well, so catering for the new influx is critical.
Another significant facet that really affected the support of regional fans the last time was the exorbitant cost of tickets to witness the matches and the ICC must examine the state of our respective economies and arrive at a suitable price for admission.
Hopefully, all these matters are being addressed by the two parties and an amicable agreement is reached that could recapture the West Indian style at cricket grounds.

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ICC Twenty20 Championship : Eyes of the cricket world on the Region

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