LUDICROUS
-- CWC top official slams ridiculous stadium reports
By Isaiah Chappelle
Guyana Chronicle
March 30, 2007
VENUE Development Director of Cricket World Cup (CWC) Inc, Donald Lockerbie, yesterday slammed reports that matches were to be moved from the Providence Stadium as ridiculous.
He also said 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, Lockerbie 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.”
He pointed out that if that were the case, the ICC would not have flown players and match personnel here and have preparations continued at the venue.
Lockerbie offered that the misinformation might have arisen because at one point accommodation was an issue for the broadcasters when it appeared that Buddy’s International Hotel would not have been completed on time.
He explained that the LOC and President Bharrat Jagdeo assured the ICC that the hotel would be ready and with the staging of the Rio Group Summit the issue was resolved but the broadcasters might have already formed their opinion.
“We went ahead with Guyana and their predictions.”
Asked to speak definitively on the report 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.
He explained there were some areas that could only be done at the last part of the preparations.
The ICC official disclosed that to date only CWC activities should have taken place at all stadia and as some venues were behind schedule, some extra services had to be added to complete the preparation.
Lockerbie said the LOC had signed the contract with GL Events since last year June and the ICC did not bring in the company.
He said there were some cost issues that had to be ironed out and he congratulated LOC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Karan Singh for defending the budget, saying Singh was doing an excellent job.
Lockerbie opened the press conference saying he was 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.
Lockerbie said the CWC had set a standard and wanted to make sure that the venues were not only finished but finished well.
“There have never been more modern facilities in a Cricket World Cup. We met the specifications.”
The venue specialist pointed out that in the past, venues were individual building, but they were now stadia.
He said the most important area were the pitches and outfield, with no puddles, no players slipping that indicated the drainage was good vertically and horizontally.
“It was truly a great first day. We have been able to work as a team.”
Lockerbie said Providence could be one of the venues for the ICC Champions Trophy in 2010 for which three or four might be used for the matches and the others for warm-up games.
“CWC begins a whole new era.”
He said the ICC would host a management conference after the CWC so that the venues could be maintained at a certain standard.