Manning: Govt committed to working with cricket Boards

As Caribbean Government prepare for the 2007 World Cricket Series, Prime Minister Patrick Manning has conceded that the Queen’s Park Oval would not be adequate for such an event.

Manning was speaking at a post-Cabinet news briefing at Whitehall yesterday. The Prime Minister attended a meeting in Antigua at which the “financial and logistical” issues relating to the Series was discussed. He said government had already given a commitment to the Queen’s Park Cricket Club and the West Indies Cricket Board of Control that it would work with them to assist the hosting of whatever matches, Trinidad and Tobago is called upon to host. But the Prime Minister said he wanted to make it clear that Trinidad and Tobago was “not fighting to host anything.” In fact, he proposed at Sunday’s meeting  that all the countries collaborate in hosting the event rather than compete for it. “Because the resources required to do it are huge,” he stated.

He said some people said that none of the cricket grounds in the region was up to the required standard, while others argued that there was none which could match up to the name and reputation of the Queen’s Park Oval. He said others had put up a proposal to construct a new world-class facility in another part of Trinidad and Tobago for this World Series Cricket, while others contended that this was spending money for a virtual “one night stand”. “There are all kinds of permutations and that is why it is necessary for all the heads to be put together to decide what we would do,” he said. It calls for great hospitality and makes tremendous demand on the hotel industry. He said Government so far had taken a decision not to build a new cricket stadium. He said however Government would be prepared to overturn this decision, if after discussion with Caribbean Governments, it is the view of this course of action was necessary. Noting that the Queen’s Park Savannah held 30,000, Manning said any proper match normally attracts a full Oval. “And if you have as large number of visitors coming in, you see the problem”, he said.

Manning said one of the things the region would have to consider is how it would manage the large influx of people who are likely to visit the region to watch matches and what physical facilities and accommodation would be available. In Antigua, Manning also attended a meeting on the issue of having LNG from Trinidad and Tobago shipped to Jamaica. The Jamaicans are asking for special pricing arrangements for LNG as a means for addressing the trade imbalance. Manning said Trinidad and Tobago argued that the arrangements covering the Caricom Single Market did not involve this matter and therefore it should be addressed at another forum. He said it was agreed that both parties begin discussions on “a commerical arrangement” to resolve this matter.

Manning also attended a Prime Ministerial meeting to look at methods of government in the context of Caribbean regional integration. The committee looked at a proposal from a technical committee headed by Sir Shridath Ramphal. Manning noted that the proposal stated that if there were countries in the region who wished to integrate at a faster rate, they were free to do so. “And therefore the door is wide open and I remain as optimistic as I ever was that we are going to end up...with some form of political integration.” He said more and more the economics were pointing in this direction.