Reflection on the past week of events in the West Indies cricketing world with regards to the ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 should engender pride and confidence in us all. It was truly a week of significant achievements.
We were formally recognized as hosts of the sporting event at the signing of the Host Agreement between the ICC and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). We received a home in Jamaica for the headquarters of ICC CWC WI 2007 Inc., the company responsible for planning and managing the competition. We received practical demonstration of the backing and support pledged by the CARICOM Heads of Government. We achieved, importantly, a resounding expression of confidence from the International Cricket Council (ICC) in the ability of the West Indies to host what is being hailed as the third largest sporting event in the world. What a week indeed!
ICC President Ehsan Mani and Chief Executive Officer, Malcolm Speed, arrived in Jamaica last Sunday, on the second leg of a Caribbean journey that began in Barbados. From their arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport in Jamaica, they expressed their confidence with Mani saying that the ICC had no concerns, at this time, about our plans to host the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007.
This message resonated throughout their visit with Speed saying the ICC had a “great deal of faith” in the cricket administrators, supporters and governments throughout the West Indies to run the competition.
Of course we are aware of the challenges of hosting this event such as logistical challenges from running the competition across seven or eight Caribbean countries, as is the ICC.
We are confident that together we can ably meet those challenges and host the best Cricket World Cup the world has ever seen.
We are approaching the hosting of this event, as our President, Teddy Griffith noted at the signing of the Host Agreement between the ICC and WICB last Monday, with the “utmost seriousness and resolve.”
Our state of preparedness is rapidly evolving. Earlier this year we formally set up our subsidiary company, ICC CWC WI 2007 Inc. to manage and deliver the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 under the terms set out in the Host’s agreement. The mandate of the company and its Board of Directors, under the Chairmanship of Rawle Brancker who leads a team of experienced and distinguished directors, carefully selected for their expertise and competence is to deliver the best ever world cup, on time and on budget.
There are substantial economic benefits to be gained from our hosting the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007. At the signing of the Host Agreement, Mr. Griffith said the competition would be a Caribbean event, with a distinctive Caribbean flavour. He then spoke of the delivery of “maximum economic returns,” consistent with cricketing objectives, for the benefit of all the countries of the Caribbean.
ICC President Mani took this a step further by forecasting the West Indies’ revenue from the event.
“For the agreement that the ICC entered into for this year’s World Cup and the Cricket World Cup in 2007, each of our full members will receive in excess of $20 million and the West Indies, for hosting the next ICC CWC 2007, will receive in excess of $108 million,” he noted.
Perhaps more important than financial benefits is the sustainable development to be derived from the competition. Mr. Griffith has noted, the event “is to leave a legacy by means of which the future of West Indies cricket, its infrastructure and its development can be sustained post- 2007.”
This week of achievement heralds in several years of preparation, delivery and performance. We have begun our recruitment and bidding process that will continue into next year to ensure that we have the best brains with suitable experience to run the various facets of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 as well as the best venues. Let us continue these preparations and make our region proud.