In The Papers Today (Sep 28, 2005)

According to a BBC Sport report, West Indies head coach Bennett King lists team spirit, courage and consistency as the most important qualities expected from the players preparing for the tour of Australia.

Commenting on fitness levels, Coach King is pleased that many players have improved to the point where all they need to do now is maintain it. On the contract dispute, King says that the coaching and operational staff have not been involved in it, instead focussing on preparing the best team from the players available.

Former World Cup 2007 Chairman Rawle Brancker is refusing to go quietly into the night. The outspoken Brancker, who quit after a very public spat with Chris Dehring, has formally written to CARICOM leaders urging them to order an investigation and audit of management decisions made by Cricket World Cup 2007.

As reported in the Jamaica Observer, Brancker's letter was sent to CARICOM leaders including Keith Mitchell, Kenny Anthony and Owen Arthur. West Indies Cricket Board president Ken Gordon was forwarded a copy. In the letter Brancker called for an immediate independent due diligence and forensic audit exercise, as well as the appointment of an internal auditor.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has issued a media release stating outcomes of the meeting of Directors held in Barbados last Saturday. These included recommendations from the Bennett King-headed Win World Cup Committee who have listed full time coaches and full time access to trainers, physiotherapists and gym facilities for regional teams and that former players be utilised as mentors for players in their respective countries.

Following the meeting the Board also announced that despite disagreeing with a number of conclusions in the Lucky Report, they accept all seven of its recommendations.

There has been no statement on the discussion of tour reports submitted by management on the recent West Indies A team tour of Sri Lanka and several other matters that were tabled for discussion.

As promised, Fazeer Mohammed lists his all-time West Indies XI in another Trinidad Express space-filling column. There are no surprises as he names Brian Lara, Garfield Sobers, Malcolm Marshall, George Headley, Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Conrad Hunte, Jeff Dujon, Andy Roberts, Wes Hall and Lance Gibbs.

The Express also highlights the performance of national captain Daren Ganga, who scored a century on day one of the practice match at West Indies camp headquarters in Barbados.

Ganga paced Sylvester Joseph's XI to 279-3 at stumps against a make-up team led by Shivnarine Chanderpaul. The two teams are playing a four-day practice match.

In the Trinidad Guardian, Vinode Mamchan discloses that only 7,500 World Cup seats will be made available per match to local cricket fans wanting to attend games at Queens Park Oval.

CEO of the Trinidad & Tobago Local Organising Committee, Anand Daniel says the restricted availability is out of his hands because of ICC regulations. Of the now 19,000 seats available at Queens Park Oval, the ICC has reserved 4,000 and stipulated that 50% of the remainder must be made available only to overseas-based spectators. Further, tickets will only be available for purchase online using a credit card.

Mamchan also follows up on one of Tuesday's stories, saying that the West Indies Cricket Board has approved the use of Wilson Road Recreation Ground in regional first class matches.

The Antigua Sun reports that the Antigua & Barbuda Sports Tourism Alliance (ABSTA) is gearing up to launch ?500 Days Countdown?, a marketing initiative designed to encourage an appreciation for cricket ahead of World Cup 2007.

The campaign is being run in conjunction with the New York Tourist Office and its main marketing tool will be a Web site offering things such as online video streaming of construction works at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, membership and online chats with national cricket legends. Richards is Ambassador and Chairman of ABSTA and will be spokesman for the site.

This Is Torquay, a local English publication writes about how two local lads touring Barbados with Cardiff University Cricket Club bumped into Tino Best on a night out and persuaded him to join their team the following day. According to one of the touring students, Best was ?slightly coy, but turned up at the ground the following day with all his Test kit, smashed a cameo 54 - took three wickets for nine runs.?

Best then decided to play for Cardiff for the remainder of their tour, acting as a mentor to the team and promising to dedicate his first Test five-wicket haul or half century to the side.

Chris Dehring travelled to Guyana to attend a World Cup function. According to Neil Marks of the Guyana Chronicle, Dehring spoke to the crowds which had turned out for the event, calling Guyanese people the most resourceful in the world and urging ?Guyana to believe in Guyana?.

The Cricket World Cup 2007 CEO was pleased with progress being made in Guyana, and Karran Singh, head of the Local Organising Committee, said his focus is firmly set on getting all Guyanese people to embrace hosting the quarter finals of the big event.