By Andrew Green, Staff Reporter
The Jamaica Cricket Association said improvements required at the Park to accommodate the game could cost more than US$10 million (almost J$600 million). - File
SABINA Park may seem the obvious choice for Jamaica to host World Cup cricket matches in 2007, but another venue could possibly be selected, says Dr. Wayne Reid, chairman of the committee preparing Jamaica's participation in the sport.
At the same time, the Jamaica Cricket Association said improvements required at the Park to accommodate the game could cost more than US$10 million (almost J$600 million).
Other options include the National Stadium and the construction of a new ground in Western Jamaica, Dr. Reid said. But any decision will have to await the presentation of bid documents by the World Cup 2007 organisation.
"There are at least two options in Kingston and there could be an option outside of town," he said. "It is the costs to Jamaica and the benefits Jamaica will get out of it; that is what Jamaica is going to weigh to determine which option is best."
AWAITING BID DOCUMENTS
Jamaica plans to play a major role in the next cricket World Cup, Dr. Reid said. Bid documents should be ready by September and Jamaica must present its response by the end of the year.
"You have to decide what you need to do to satisfy the requirements," Dr. Reid said, when asked about the work of his committee. "We won't get the conditions until the bid documents come out."
Bid documents will be based on a decision by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and International Cricket Council (ICC) on how they will group the matches and which venues are most appropriate. The WICB has established a separate company, Windies World Cup 2007, to run the tournament for them.
CUTTING EXPENSES
To cut expenses and ease planning problems, the ICC has decided to reduce the number of venues from the 15 used at the recent World Cup, he said. Sugges-tions are that it will be less than 10.
"As far as preparations are concerned, I think we are as ready as anybody else," he said. He dismissed criticisms by managing director and chief executive officer of Windies World Cup 2007, Chris Dehring about the preparedness of Jamaica and Barbados to host matches.
"There is no place in the West Indies that is ready now to host the World Cup," he said, "and some of the places will never, ever be ready."
Some of these venues lack a number of integral things that go into dealing with large crowds, such as adequate security, accommodation, health and emergency facilities, Dr. Reid said.
The venues in the different countries are working as best they can in the absence of a specific request from the WICB, he said.
"Because I don't know what I will be bidding on, in terms of the specifics of the bid documents, then I don't know what it is going to cost to meet those requirements," Dr. Reid said, when asked what it would cost to prepare for the tournament.
What the WICB offers, and the response of the local organising committee, could have substantial economic implications for the country.
"The World Cup is the third biggest sporting event in the world," said Jackie Hendriks, president of the Jamaica Cricket Association. "There could be colossal spinoffs."
If Jamaica hosted major matches, thousands of visitors could be expected to attend, Mr. Hendricks said. However, this boost to tourism would present a major challenge. The country would have to find accommodation and transportation for a huge number of visitors at the height of the winter tourist season. Mr. Hendricks said the possibility of using cruise ships to house and transport fans between venues was under consideration.
"Antigua and Barbados have already developed cricket-related tourism, attracting thousands of visitors," Dr. Reid said. "We are getting a chance here now."
There is a large community of cricket lovers in the eastern United States who could find Jamaica an attractive venue for a major cricket match, Dr. Reid said.
FREE ADVERTISEMENTS
Another major benefit is from television advertisement, Dr. Reid said. The games have a viewership of more than one billion people and hosting matches here would give the country free advertisement to this audience.
Positioning itself to play a pivotal role in this mix of opportunities, Sabina Park has announced improvement plans that would include doubling its 15,000 seat capacity by 2007. Brian Breese, chief executive officer of the Jamaica Cricket Association, said the improvements could cost more than US$10 million.
The local committee may be officially undecided, but there is strong support for Sabina Park. This has come not only from Prime Minister PJ Patterson, but also powerful voices in the local cricket fraternity.
"There are a lot of arguments for and against any location, including Sabina Park," Dr. Reid said. "The ground has an important advantage in that it already has existing facilities.
"The first and foremost thing is that it has a grand tradition. You cannot take that and dash it away," Dr. Reid said. "People will come here expecting to go to Sabina Park."
