Ridiculous talk
Editorial
Guyana Chronicle
March 30, 2007
THE praise coming Guyana’s way for its success in the Wednesday opening of the six matches of the Super Eight leg of Cricket World Cup 2007, would be a bitter dose for the local doomsday fraternity to swallow.
Those in that clan had persisted in seeing dark shadows over the Guyana National Stadium at Providence as the landmark event that promises so much for restoring national pride and much, much more, drew near.
They seemed to delight in `uncovering’ serious blemishes in the studied picture officials, under tremendous pressure, were putting out with the best advice from the technical and other experts.
And they spread the news, so eagerly and easily picked up overseas, that the International Cricket Council and Cricket World Cup top officials were about to pull the games from Guyana, or had to rush in and stage a rescue act.
Long must have been their faces as Wednesday materialised into a glorious day for Guyana and those officials who had to long bear the unnecessary burden of carrying the weight the local doomsday clan insisted on heaping on their shoulders.
It’s not hard to imagine their chagrin yesterday after Venue Development Director of Cricket World Cup (CWC) Inc, Donald Lockerbie, slammed reports that matches were to be moved from the Providence Stadium as ridiculous.
He pulled no punches and cannot be accused of wanting to be a PR person for Guyana.
Mr. Lockerbie was straight forward -- the International Cricket Council (ICC) did not take away the stadium management from the Local Organising Committee (LOC).
At a press conference at the stadium, he said the first day at the new cricket facility was a great day for Guyana and CWC because it was more than operational.
“All the talk that was circulating about matches being taken from Guyana, I found ludicrous.”
Asked to be definitive on the reports in some media that the management was wrested from the LOC, Lockerbie said that on the timetable of events, the ICC should have taken management of all venues on February 19, which included the LOC becoming tenant of the stadium and everyone worked as a team to finish the work.
Mr. Lockerbie is also very pleased with the security arrangements which he described as “impressive” and said it was the “best” opening day at a venue.
He congratulated Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Slowe for the “excellent manner” in which the security was implemented in line with the ICC master security plan.
“It was truly a great first day. We have been able to work as a team.”
It’s like honey and soothing salve for some, but bitter vinegar for the local doomsday fraternity.
We hope that Mr. Lockerbie has succeeded in putting an end to this silly season of the clan and that all join in making the rest of the CWC tournament here a truly historic period for this country.
It’s long past time for the doomsday fraternity to come out of their dark caves and dwell in the light.