Iron-clad World Cup demands
-- What next after Lara's `sorry’?
By Rickey Singh
Guyana Chronicle
April 15, 2007
IF YOU follow what some local, regional and international officials involved in our hosting of Cricket World Cup 07 are now saying, you may think it was all a bad joke to have imposed exorbitant fees for tickets, treat musical instruments as weapons of terror, restrict drinks and food containers at matches, as well as the joy of jumping up with a big banner.
Faced with recurring thousands of empty seats at many of the newly built or refurbished stadia -- Jamaica and Guyana being exceptions (and by late last week Barbados also), the International Cricket Council (ICC), West Indies Cricket Board and its subsidiary, Cricket World Cup West Indies Inc, have been wiping egg off their faces in desperately seeking to correct mistakes and raise the bar for cricket celebration.
Amid much public relations-generated hype, prices for tickets were being reduced and made more accessible for purchase; freedom has been permitted to enter, leave and return to a venue stadium during matches, subjected to normal security checks.
Also, finally, the green light has come from those dwelling in darkness about our cultural traditions for a variety of musical instruments to be allowed for the remaining matches for customary cricket merry-making.
Officials of ICC/CWC Inc who have been blithely denying their own involvement in the pricing and marketing of tickets, and simply blaming Local Organising Committees (LOCs), would know of the iron-clad provisions in the ICC/CWC's Host Venue Agreement (HVA) for which compliance was imperative to host the current historic event -- as I had reported in last Sunday's Chronicle.
** Commercial Rights: For instance, the HVA signed between the ICC/CWC West Indies Inc and the LOCs, state in relation to non-negotiable "commercial rights", that:
"The LOC hereby acknowledges and agrees that IDI (ICC Development International), GCC (the Singapore-based Global Cricket Corporation Ltd) and Licensees are the owners, licensees or sub-licensees of all Commercial Rights and that neither CWC 2007 Inc nor the LOC shall be entitled to exploit any of the Commercial Rights..."
** Tickets and Hospitality: In terms of sale and allocation of tickets, the relevant clause of the HIV makes clear: "Any ticketing arrangements, including the sale and allocation of tickets, the allocation of complimentary tickets and the provision of Hospitality for Matches, as well as all ticket-related matters shall be determined by the CWC Inc 2007, after consultation with the LOC…"
This provision exposes the hollowness of recent claims by the ICC's Malcom Speed and CWC's Chris Dehring of no responsibility for the high costs of tickets, while confirming what some LOC officials have stated -- that the costs and marketing of tickets were part of the "collaborative effort" involving the ICC and CWC Inc.
The host government themselves would have been privy to this arrangement and, of course, at all times, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), as a member of the ICC.
It is quite pertinent to also bear in mind in assessing the extent of submission by the WICB/CWC Inc, to the dictates of the ICC by a host country, the required "obligations".
For the current World Cup, "obligations" of an LOC mean to be "irrevocably and unconditionally" committed to undertake the requirements as outlined in the HVA.
Compliance
"The LOC", it states, "shall at all times comply with and abide by the reasonable directions and instructions of CWC 2007 Inc and/or IDI in relation to CWC 2007. In the event of a conflict between the directions and instructions of CWC Inc and the directions and instructions of IDI, those of CWC Inc SHALL PREVAIL (my emphasis)..."
Even in appreciating it is a legal, binding agreement, its overriding concept and general tone point to a level of arrogance by the framers in following the dictates of the ICC/IDI to which the region submitted.
Question is, at what stage did the LOCs and, by extension, host governments, choose to expediently suspend commitment to sovereignty in the "negotiating process", overwhelmed by objective factors, to which they now expediently point? Namely, the "legacy" of the stadia, roads, hotels and other facilities now in place, plus a harvest of international media publicity.
The Caribbean people would have been well aware of the "legacy" as the millions were being spent in preparation for hosting the tournament.
They also know that when the crunch comes, THEY have to share the financial burden. There is really no row over the positive features to have resulted from hosting the World Cup and the fact that, knowing that, ultimately, there is a price for all nationals of host countries to pay.
Other agonising questions were also being raised last week following Brian Lara's public apology and his decision to quit playing in the ODIs after the remaining two matches in which the West Indies team are involved for this tournament.
Question now is: Who are the others to come forward and say "sorry" to the region's people?
It would have been as painful for Lara to offer his mea culpa for the humiliating let down by the West Indies team in this World Cup tournament, as it must be for the West Indian people across our region and of the Diasporas to accept his plea for forgiveness.
However, let those whose anger and pain are widely shared, also find time to objectively consider that Lara's traumatic declaration that "we (the team) don't deserve to be in the semi-finals", contrasts with the ambiguities and defensive positions of the highly-rated teams of India's Rahul Dravid and Pakistan's Inzaman-Ul-Haq, both of which had to return home without even reaching the Super 8 stage.
This is not to rationalise repeated shocking performances by the West Indies team under Lara's leadership. It is more a challenge to admit that in this best known international game of "glorious uncertainties" our players too can cause grief, even as the Irish -- relatively new boys on the cricket block -- spring surprises and the Bangladeshis create shock waves.
Now that Lara has made his sad apology to the people of the Caribbean -- the real owners of West Indies cricket -- a question of immediate relevance is: Does the WICB have an obligation also to offer an unequivocal "sorry" for its management of the game and, specifically how the team for this World Cup was chosen in the first place?
President of the WICB, Ken Gordon, seems in no mood at present for any apology. He has been quick to go on the defensive in response to an editorial in last Thursday's (April 12) 'Trinidad Express' that called on the WICB's "entire leadership" from the President and including coach Bennet King and co-ordinator Clive Lloyd, to "step down" for a new start for the future of West Indies cricket.
The region's people also need to hear from coach Bennet King himself, especially in view of the bitter complaints and grilling that continue in India and Pakistan following the humiliation of their World Cup teams and the agony now in having to find new coaches.
King's coaching role has been under critical scrutiny long before this World Cup.