His Excellency President Bharrat Jagdeo met with members of the Guyana 2007 World Cup Committee and ministers of government at State House the evening before he left for the Caricom Heads of State Special Summit in St. Lucia.
The president concluded with the gathering the appointment of members of the Guyana Bid Committee and guidelines for the establishment of a Guyana World Cup Board which would work along with a technical committee and a broad support group.
Members of the 2007 World Cup Committee were given the opportunity to clear the air on several issues in preparation for the 2007 World Cup. President Jagdeo explained that the roads and airports and other necessary facilities will be developed further.
The stadium will be constructed at Providence on the East Bank Demerara. During the highly successful meeting the president explained his government's unflinching efforts to construct a stadium for World Cup 2007. The Head of State also reassured the meeting that he will be discussing several related issues with his colleagues at the Caricom Heads of Government meeting.
The Guyana Cricket Board along with the National Sports Commission, the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sport along with eminent personalities are working closely with the government to ensure the success of the stadium construction and Guyana's fullest participation in the 2007 World Cup.
Caricom leaders have registered the Caribbean commitment to host the 2007 World Cup. The prestigious sporting event will be the biggest ever to be held in the Caribbean.
Brian Lara's magnificent century in the present test match (versus Zimbabwe) and the West Indies good performance will motivate the entire Caribbean people to continue supporting their team. West Indies won the first two World Cup titles. The Caribbean cricket team was at the helm of world cricket and their dominance revealed that they had the best batsman and the best bowlers in the world.
Presently it is imperative that West Indies cricket administrators recognise that it is time they select another wicket-keeper and make the tough decision and let Vasbert Drakes rest from the West Indies team.
All the teams that won the World Cup had batsmen-wicket-keepers. The West Indies selectors must seriously consider Vishal Nagamootoo. Further, all the teams that won had reliable lower order batsmen and it is compulsory that a winning team have good all rounders.
Omari Banks, Assad Fudadin, Lendl Simmons and Ravi Rampaul are only a few of the youngsters who need serious consideration and promotion.
West Indies cricket needs a leader/captain who recognises his role in team building. The moulding of a winning team will only be possible with a dedicated and disciplined captain. Brian Lara is a world class batsman but he needs to recognise that before his sojourn at the helm of West Indies cricket comes to an end, he should build the team as one of the leading cricket teams in the world once more.
With all the genuine efforts and preparation in the Caribbean for the 2007 World Cup, it is imperative that our cricketers play to win the title for a third time most appropriately on our home grounds before the appreciative and hopeful bands of cricket-crazy Caribbean people.