Cricket officials Lewis, Rodriguez in South Africa

Trinidad and Tobago cricket officials Ellis Lewis and Willie Rodriguez are among a delegation of West Indians currently in South Africa on a factfinding mission.

The 17 officials from eight Caribbean countries and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) arrived in South Africa on Tuesday.
They are part of a delegation organised by Windies World Cup 2007 (WWC) to observe the operations of the Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2003 in South Africa and meet with key organisers.

Among the delegates who will be in South Africa until March 11 are: three Presidents of national cricket associations, Jackie Hendriks (Jamaica/WICB director), Stephen Alleyne (Barbados/WICB director), and Benjamin Hughes (Anguilla); and Ellis Lewis, vice-president of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board and director of the WICB.

Also participating are Mike Findlay, Project Director of the St Vincent and the Grenadines WWC 2007 committee; Dr Wayne Reid, Jamaica’s Project Director for WWC 2007; and Roy O’Neale, chairman of Grenada’s WWC 2007 committee.

Other members of the delegation are: Desmond Skeete, Chairman of the St Lucia Tourist Board, Alkins Rogers, Anguilla’s Director of Sports,  Horatio Versailles, St Kitts Cricket Association board member, and Willie Rodriguez, president of the Queen’s Park Cricket Club in Trinidad and Tobago.

“We are very pleased to have so many high-level officials participating and really appreciate the willingness of the ICC and the South African organisers  to facilitate us at this time,” remarked Chris Dehring, managing-director (designate) of WWC 2007 who heads the delegation.

“This excellent response by Caribbean countries confirms to me that Governments and cricket associations of the region are serious about the task of matching and even surpassing the excellent work done in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya for this World Cup “ Dehring continued

“We believe this delegation will present a unique opportunity to learn from the key players who are involved in running the only Cricket World Cup before 2007 with a view to ensuring that our infrastructure, facilities and arrangements meet the required standards and that all countries make the best bid possible” he added.

The delegates have already met with Gerald Majola, CEO of the UCBSA, several officials of the Cricket World Cup (CWC) organisation and the Guarteng Cricket Board.

The delegates will also have workshops and meetings later on with Malcolm Speed and other representatives of the ICC, the legal consultants to CWC 2003 as well as companies such as sports management specialists IMG/TWI, and many others.

There will be a special focus on the impact of the 2003 World Cup on tourism when the delegates meet the Capetown Tourism Association.
This meeting was scheduled because of the significant tourism benefits that the Caribbean is seeking from the World Cup 2007 and the importance of this sector to most of the region’s economies. The delegates are also touring various World Cup playing and practice facilities and will have an opportunity to visit the West Indies team during one of their practice sessions.                                          (CMC)