Paul-Andre Walker, Staff Reporter
India's fast bowler Ajit Agarkar (left) gives the thumbs up signal while sitting next to spinner Harbajhan Singh on the team bus, shortly after their arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
SIX DAYS away from the West Indies' first one-day international against the touring Indian team here in Jamaica, the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) announced that only 9,500 spectators will be able to attend the game.
According to the JCA, the northern stand is still not ready for spectators, which will cut down on the capacity of the stadium.
"We ask the general public to bear with us so that when the year ends we will have a magnificent Cricket Stadium," JCA president Jackie Hendricks said.
"We could not turn down the West Indies Cricket Board's request to have the international matches at Sabina Park," Hendricks went on to explain.
The George Headley Stand, which now holds 7,300 spectators, will take the bulk of the public, who will be asked to pay $2,500 for the one-dayers.
The new location of the Red Stripe Mound has been deemed fit and will take 600 spectators at a cost of $3,500 each. A roll-away stand on the western side of Sabina Park, just beside the Kingston Cricket Club (KCC), will cost patrons $600 and has a capacity of 800.
The tickets are already on sale at the JCA ticket office located at the George Headley Stand. The offices open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Mondays to Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
The question of having a players pavilion ready for the game was also answered as KCC has agreed to give up the first floor of their clubhouse to facilitate players and officials, along with the official scorers.
ELECTRONIC SCOREBOARD
The availability of an electronic scoreboard also came up, as the one imported by the Cricket World Cup Local Organising Committee, Jamaica Cricket 2007, comes into the island today and might not be ready for the game.
In that event, a video screen will be used to deliver the scores to the public.
Despite the setbacks, Indian High Commissioner, K.L. Agrawal, who was on hand at the press conference, said the Indian community was happy to play in the West Indies after some 35 years.
"In India we have over a hundred thousand persons watching a game and although in this case it is just 9,000, we are still happy to be here. This is sport," he said.
