BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) - Senior Cricket World Cup Inc. and International Cricket Council officials will carry out their final venue tour over the next few days, as they assess the state of readiness of stadia scheduled to host matches during next year's tournament.
Don Lockerbie, the venue development director, said officials from the right holders as well as official suppliers for the tournament were expected to join the officials on the trip.
"It's very important, this tour. It was 18 months ago when the ICC identified this tour as the most critical tour of all. It is most critical to show the region's readiness. We are trying to have the officials and assessors share the confidence we have," the Nation newspaper quoted Lockerbie as saying.
"We are trying to get all venues as ready as possible … with all the permanent sections ready. They will have to be finished by December 31.
After that, we will move into the overlay (temporary) aspects of our infrastructure."
The tour will start tomorrow in Barbados and continue in Guyana, Grenada, Antigua, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Vincent, Trinidad and St Kitts in that order.
According to Lockerbie, the only stadia completed to date were Warner Park in St Kitts and Beausejour in St Lucia, and time was becoming very important.
"We are at the stage of implementation, we have moved on from the planning. We are moving on at full speed." Lockerbie said.