WI must win World Cup 2007

IF West Indies do not win the 2007 World Cup to be played in the Caribbean, cricket fans in the region will consider the entire tournament a failure. This was the comment of Cricket World Cup 2007 chairman Chris Dhering jointly hosted by TIDCO, the Ministry of Tourism and CM-ExPress 2005 at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel, Audrey Jeffers Highway, on Friday. He said, “we can organise how well and plan how well, but the entire World Cup could be a failure in the minds of the Caribbean people once the West Indies fail to win it.” And Dhering was quick to point out, the West Indies’ success in winning the ICC Champions Trophy now seems a long way off.

He called on fans to pressure the West Indies Cricket Board —and the players as well — to get their house in order, settle their money squabble and put things in place so the West Indies will have every chance to win World Cup 2007. Dhering said plans are in train for the waving of visa fees as well as departure fees and for immigration and customs to allow players, officials and fans to pass through their VIP area in order to speed up the operation. He said there could be a riot if people are made to wait around an airport for hours.

The Jamaican-born Dhering also proposed to the participating countries to have concrete plans in place for the use of the proposed stadia being constructed after World Cup 2007. He said nine state-of-the-art cricket facilities will be constructed valued at approximately US$250,000. The World Cup 2007 chairman also questioned the working or lack of it of the Trinidad and Tobago arm of the organising committee. Dhering warned: “Two years may seem like a lot of time, but let me tell, it isn’t.”