The stadium passed the test, as expected
Editorial
Kaieteur News
March 29, 2007
Yesterday proved many things. For one, it proved that Guyanese are often their own worse enemy. They seem to lack confidence and often expect the worse even if the situation is in no way dire.
Coming readily to mind is the National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara.
We were slow in completing the project. The first deadline for the completion of the stadium came and went. The inspectors, particularly those representing the International Cricket Council, were critical of the apparent delay. They made scathing comments and we promised that we would be ready by the time the games reached our shores.
As late as February we were still trying to complete our stadium. We had problems with the pitch and outfield; there was the perception that the sightscreen was too low; we had problems with the approaches to the stadium and we had problems with electricity.
Some things we had to secure from other countries since we simply did not have the wherewithal to procure them.
As the games drew closer we began to doubt our ability to play hosts. We started to revisit all the problems that existed before the first games here yesterday. We rushed with haste to treat as gospel the reports contained in a letter dated March 17, a mere 11 days before the first match was played.
The officials denied that some of the contents of the letter had actually been acted on by the ICC but there were those among us who were not prepared to accept those facts.
As the opening day grew closer our penchant for rumours came to the fore. There were reports that plans were afoot to have the matches removed from Guyana. Some foreign commentators actually filed reports to the effect that stadiums in Trinidad and Jamaica were standing by to accept the matches.
Nothing could have been further from the truth. From the inception the plan was to have Guyana host the matches. Even the few brief showers at the start of the week were grounds for further pessimism. Guyana was simply not ready to host the matches, the doomsayers said.
However, the truth is a horse of a different colour. Match day was as bright as any day could ever be; the ground was as ready as any other ground that has been used for the matches. One foreign journalist reported that while all was not well with the area surrounding the stadium, inside was a revelation.
Match day saw two leading teams competing on a surface that only a few short months ago saw players kicking up tufts of sand; and on a pitch that was almost devoid of bounce. The sprinkling of spectators saw cricket of a high standard at a venue that offers all the hope for future matches.
There were the optimists among us who knew all along that the stadium would have been among the best cricketing venues in the region. The talk about the spectators being exposed to the sun then became a talking point. We knew all along that the design of the stands was such that a spectator sitting in any section would have enjoyed an uninterrupted view of play.
But some among us always have to find something to criticize so we turned our attention to the possibility of sitting in the sun, something that is as natural as walking. The visitors have no such problem, but we who should be accustomed to sun and rain suddenly find the prospect of being in the sun most undesirable.
At the previous venue, those with the least amount of money chose to sit in the bleachers. The wider society did not complain. The design of the stands actually makes use of the breezy condition that prevails in the ground.
The first match has been played, the stadium has been tested. The players all contend that the venue was match ready and played as well as many venues and better than most. The crowds were not there in the anticipated numbers but we expected that to be the case. We do not have the numbers living here and in any case, visitor arrivals have been nothing to shout about, at least not yet.
Tomorrow the stadium is going to be tested again but by then the numerous critics would have been silenced.