President of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), Teddy Griffith, says the WICB is approaching the hosting of the 2007 Cricket World Cup with “the utmost seriousness and resolve.”

Speaking at Jamaica House, Kingston, Jamaica on Monday at the signing ceremony for the Host Agreement formally establishing the partnership between the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the WICB, which makes the WICB the official hosts of the ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2007, Griffith said “we have moved from symbolism to reality. Now is the time for performance and delivery and that is all that really matters henceforth.”

Griffith noted that the signing was timely for CARICOM because of its move towards the establishment of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy. “The Cricket World Cup in the West Indies goes way beyond cricket. It’s about travel and tourism, it’s about entrepreneurship, it’s about cultural development, regional integration and a lot more.”

To this end, the WICB has had “extensive dialogue” with the tourism industry, with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) setting up a task force on the World Cup.

The WICB has also started discussions with the business community around the region.

In the feature address, Prime Minister of Jamaica, and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government for CARICOM, P.J. Patterson, gave the assurance to the cricketing world that the West Indies would be ready for the Cricket World Cup and that it would be hosted to the “highest standards.”

Speaking on behalf of Caribbean Heads of Government Patterson noted, “we will not fail in our determination to host the Cricket World Cup 2007 in accordance with the highest international standards.

“In order to do (this), our Governments will have to make substantial investments to provide the requisite facilities and infrastructure.

In return, we are entitled to expect that this solemn agreement will be honoured,” the Prime Minister added at the ceremony before ICC President Ehsan Mani, CEO Malcolm Speed and other officials.

The Prime Minister also noted that pieces of legislation related to security, intellectual property, customs and immigration would be brought before CARICOM Parliaments in order for the CWC to be successful.