Dehring Issues (Another) WC 'Venue' Warning

Thu, Nov 28, '02

The West Indies Cricket (WICB) is making it clear the semi-finals and final of the 2007 World Cup will be staged in countries that fall under under the board's administrative control.

Managing director of Windies World Cup 2007 Inc. Chris Dehring said the WICB policy decision means the three biggest games in the world's biggest tournament "must be played in three of the 14 countries who are an official part of West Indies cricket."

Speculation has been rampant that the board may consider an outside territory, especially the USA because of poor facilities in the Caribbean but Dehring moved to clarify that issue.

He, however, warned that the 2007 World Cup is not the West Indies' to do whatever the WICB wants and to any standards they choose. "Windies World Cup 2007 has to be seen and appreciated as a global event that the West Indies has been given the privilege of hosting," he said at a public forum.

"There have been various expressions of concern when mention is made of the United States, Cayman Islands, or The Bahamas as potential venues for the hosting of matches in 2007. But understanding that this event belongs to the International Cricket Council and, given their vision to spread the gospel of the glorious game, then the possibility that the ICC will want to have matches played in these territories is very logical," he explaiend.

He again made it clear the regional territories will have to compete for the right to host the 'important' games. "There will be no such thing as a traditional venue. The so-called traditional venues ? Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana ? will all have to submit a competitive bid like everybody else and will receive no preferential treatment," he insisted.

"The definition of 'venue' in this case is the country or city and it is important to understand that all the facilities of the 'venue' will need to be assessed,? Dehring added.

"Countries that have invested in new facilities like Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and Antigua & Barbuda insisted on an assurance that when it comes to the 2007 World Cup, they will be treated on an equal basis with the so-called traditional venues."

He said a team of professional venue development planners will be contracted as part of a Venue Assessment team to assist the WICB with assessing "venues" for the allocation of matches.
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"They will assess 'venues' and stadiums objectively for the quality and quantity of physical facility which they are, and on the basis that a World Cup is being staged in the Caribbean and that suitable venues and stadiums will be required to stage a world class event," he added.

The tournament is scheduled to run through April to May, 2007.