MIAMI, Florida, (CMC) - Officials of the Broward/Lauderhill World Cup Host Committee 2007 have expressed disappointment at not being selected as one of the eight host venues for the ICC World Cup West Indies 2007.
The United States surprisingly missed out in their bid to host matches.
The ICC has targeted the country as a major expansion area and in September a team from the United States will feature in the ICC Champions Trophy in England.
“It’s obvious there was a problem getting everybody in, but we do hope that we can get a few decent warm-up matches,” remarked former West Indies off-spin bowling great Lance Gibbs, the chairman of the Broward/Lauderhill World Cup Host Committee 2007.
“The infrastructure and everything else has been put in place and there are millions of people living in the United States from the major cricket nations and we believe it will be a financial success if we get proper warm-up matches.
“I think it was a blunder to leave the United States out of the equation on the part of the ICC and the organising committee and not make use of the millions of cricket lovers living in this country.”
Gibbs noted an arena that would seat 30 000 to 40 000 spectators was being planned and the two counties still intend to finance its construction despite the bad news.
“We were going to spend something like US$40 million to construct the facility,” he said.
“Everything is still on stream and we could even increase the seating capacity, but the warm-up matches that we may be able to attract will be very important to us.”
Gibbs stated, however, the Broward/Lauderhill bid committee would give its support to the eight chosen host venues and the organising committee in staging a successful World Cup.
The host venues chosen are Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts/Nevis, St Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago. Bermuda, St Vincent & the Grenadines, and the United States were the three unsuccessful host venues.
But Bermuda has been awarded warm-up matches and the West Indies Cricket Board has recommended the country as a first alternative venue to host matches in the event a match needs to be relocated for any reason.
Next Tuesday, the details of the specific matches to be played at the eight venues, including the opening ceremony and match, semifinals and final, will be announced in a live radio and television broadcast from Jamaica, where the headquarters of ICC CWC WI 2007 Inc. is located.