‘Lara wanted to play at Oval’

The dream of West Indies captain Brian Lara to play a World Cup match in front of his adoring home fans has been dashed. This was stated by manager of the Trinidad and Tobago cricket team, Omar Khan yesterday. Khan said that the double world record holder would not realise his lifelong ambition after Trinidad and Tobago were awarded the “Brown Package” for the 2007 International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup to be staged in the Caribbean for the first time. As “Venue 3” TT will host to runners-up at the last World Cup, India and three of the qualifying nations. Lara will be with the regional team based in Jamaica. According to the award made on Tuesday in Montego Bay, Jamaica, six preliminary round matches will be played in Trinidad at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain.

TT had put in a bid for the “Yellow Package” which was handed to Jamaica who will stage the opening ceremony, six preliminary matches, involving West Indies and the opening match of the prestigious tournament. “Knowing Brian Lara personally in my role as manager of the national team, I can tell you that it was his dream to play a World Cup match in front of his home crowd,” a dismayed Khan said yesterday. Executive manager of Queen’s Park Cricket Club (QPCC), Hugh Henderson said it was a huge disappointment that the West Indies matches will not be played at the Oval. “It is a huge disappointment to the people of Trinidad and Tobago that we were not given the group with the West Indies team as we had hoped. I don’t think that the number of matches is the problem. Everyone has more or less gotten the same number of matches. However the problem is with the quality of the matches. Another disappointment would have been the failure to land the opening ceremony,” he said. Henderson said the semi-finals would have been a big match for Trinidad and Tobago. “This is really not going down too well with the fans,” he said.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), Alloy Lequay was unavailable to comment on the matter, when his office was contacted yesterday. However second vice-president of the TTCB, Baldath Mahabir said that a lot of questions can now be asked. “I am totally disappointed but not surprised,” he said. Pressed further, the Clarke Road United club president added: “I am not surprised because of the stance taken by the prime minister.” Earlier this year Prime Minister Patrick Manning said that the Government was not going to compete with other regional countries and was going to take whatever was given to it. “If we were the only one to bid for the ‘Yellow Package’ then I can’t understand why we didn’t get it. The Cricket Board had minimal input into all of this and I think that the Government and the Local Bid Committee have to answer,” Mahabir said.

Former Minister of Sport, Manohar Ramsaran laid the blame squarely on the Government of PM Manning. “As a former Minister of Sport and an avid cricket fan, I wish to express my disgust and disappointment for the package given to Trinidad and Tobago for cricket World Cup 2007,” Ramsaran said in a statement issued to the media. “I am sure that this package was given to us as a result of the lackadaisical manner in which the Government of Trinidad and Tobago handled the situation with reference to the bids for hosting of games,” the member of parliament for Chaguanas stated. “Imagine not even a quarter-final match for Trinidad and Tobago in one of the best grounds in the world —  the Queen’s Park Oval. “This is the price we pay for incompetence and I am calling on all cricketers and cricket fans to let their voices be heard.”