CWC gives `all systems go’ thumbs up for Guyana
- Teams start to arrive
Guyana Chronicle
March 25, 2007
CRICKET World Cup (CWC) boss Chris Dehring yesterday gave Guyana the thumbs up for the start of the second round of the tournament here from Wednesday, even as the first two teams arrived in the country.
“All systems are go for next Wednesday morning,” declared Dehring, from Warner Park, St. Kitts yesterday. His comments came in a press release issued by the Local Organising Committee (LOC).
Teams Sri Lanka and Ireland arrived in Guyana yesterday and a throng of volunteers recruited by the government lined the corridor at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri to welcome them.
A press release from the LOC said “Guyana is ready and excited to be handed the baton for the start of the Super 8 series”.
Dehring, the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of CWC was quoted as saying that the International Cricket Council (ICC) and CWC “are happy with preparations for the Guyana leg of international cricket’s most-anticipated spectacle.”
“The pitch and outfield are ready and we’re just fine-tuning various elements now. Teams are already en route to Guyana…and all tournament staff will be in place by the end of the weekend,” he was quoted as saying.
A report in another section of the press caused some confusion when it was suggested that ICC CWC had wrested management of the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, over a number of incomplete works.
However, CWC legal counsel Derek Jones was quoted in the regional media yesterday as saying there was no switch in the management, but CWC through international firm GL Events, was simply assisting Guyana to get the preparations right.
Works at the stadium have been completed, but crucial external works are incomplete. Last evening, workers were seen racing to complete the four lane highway link to the stadium from the Demerera Harbour Bridge.
In addition, the land between the stadium and Buddy’s International Hotel was incomplete. The land is being prepared as a parking lot for 2,500 vehicles.
Six Super 8 matches will be played at Guyana National Stadium, starting on Wednesday with a mouth-watering battle between South Africa and Sri Lanka.
With England qualifying for the second round having beaten Kenya, they will meet Ireland at the Providence venue in a potentially epic ‘Battle of Britain’ on March 30.
Another big game will be hometown favourites, the West Indies, against Sri Lanka on April Fool’s Day – and that’s no joke!
“Having sat and watched the tournament unfold beautifully in other nations for the past three weeks, we are now looking forward to delivering on our commitment to this event,” stated LOC chief executive Karan Singh.
“We are working with the ICC and CWC to achieve common objectives. We all want to have a successful Cricket World Cup – the best ever actually. Everyone has been working very hard for a long time and this is the moment we have all been waiting for.”
Singh said ticket sales have picked up, “now that the tournament is rolling and people are seeing the excitement on television and the fans enjoying themselves, the fever has caught on and they want to be a part of it.”