BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) - Everything will be done to see that the countries that were not included in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 schedule can still benefit as much as possible through warm-up matches and other activities, according to Chairman of the Board of Directors of ICC CWC WI 2007 Inc, Rawle Brancker.
Brancker offered congratulations to all of the countries who submitted bids to host matches in the ICC Cricket World Cup for their thoroughness in dealing with the issues of the Bid Book, noting that their submissions reflected the resourcefulness of the region.
“It is unfortunate given the high quality of all the bids that four venues had to be left out; but we knew before today that there would only be eight tournament venues,” he said Monday evening.
“I am hoping for full collaboration between all of the countries in the hosting of the Cricket World Cup 2007, although only eight could be chosen as host venues, “ he added.
CEO and Managing Director of ICC CWC 2007 Inc, Chris Dehring confirmed that all of the countries that submitted bids were rated by the Venue Assessment Team as being capable of hosting matches in the CWC 2007, leading him to describe the announcement of the eight venues as “both a proud and heartbreaking moment”.
Dehring urged people of the region to view the hosting of the matches as a total regional effort that will benefit all of our people, regardless of the match allocations.
Brancker, speaking on behalf of the Board of Directors added: “I now look forward to the fullest cooperation among all the countries selected as there must be a collaborative effort in order that the 2007 World Cup can be as successful an event as all of us would wish for.”
“The process we have just gone through to submit bids was virtually the development of a master plan by each venue and it puts us well ahead in the planning, with those plans only needing now to be executed,” the CWC 2007 Inc. Chairman concluded.
Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica (Sabina Park), St Kitts-Nevis, Guyana, St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago were announced as host venues for ICC CWC 2007 while Bermuda was named as 1st alternate host venue and a location for warm-up matches.
The possibility of hosting warm-up matches will also be discussed with St Vincent and the Grenadines, the Jamaica (Trelawny) venue, and Broward County, the United States of America - the other three bidding venues.