Tony Becca, Contributing Editor

The new Sabina Park:The Caribbean is a tourist destination and it is one of the most beautiful places in the world, the music of the Caribbean is among the most exciting in the world, and the people of the Caribbean are among the nicest, the friendliest people in the world …

After 32 years since the inaugural tournament in 1975, the World Cup of cricket, arguably the third largest sporting spectacle in the world, will be staged in the West Indies, it kicks off on Sunday, March 11, with the opening ceremony in Trelawny's beautiful new stadium, the first ball will be bowled at the magnificently renovated Sabina Park in Kingston on Tuesday, March 13, and the world is looking forward to it with bated breath.

Every four years, the World Cup brings together the best players in the world in a contest of 50 overs per side, and for those who love exciting cricket, for those who like to hear the sweet sound of bat hitting ball, for those who enjoy seeing the ball racing away to the boundary or sailing through the air and over the boundary - not every half an hour or so but in almost every over, World Cup Cricket is cricket, lovely cricket.

Over the years, the World Cup has developed into the showpiece of cricket - the tournament where, for a few weeks, day after day, the best bowlers in the world, bowlers like Glenn McGrath of Australia, Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lanka, Shoaib Akhtar of Pakistan, Shane Bond of New Zealand, Matthew Hoggard of England, Makhaya Ntini of South Africa, Muttiah Muralitheran of Sri Lanka, Anil Kumble of India match their skills against batsmen like Brian Lara of the West Indies, Ricky Ponting of Australia, Jacques Kallis of South Africa, Inzamam-ul-Haq of Pakistan, Rahul Dravid of India, Stephen Fleming of New Zealand, Jayasuriya of Sri Lanka, and Andrew Flintoff of England.

fielding

On top of that, with players running like 100-metre sprinters, diving and leaping, and flying left and right in an effort to stop the ball or to catch it for 50 overs, it is at the World Cup where fielding is at its best - where the sounds of the ball hitting the stumps and the appeals of thousands upon thousands of fans for run-out are regular and ear-shattering.

On the field that is what World Cup Cricket is all about. It is constant and exciting action by the best giving their best every delivery, with the bat, with the ball and in the field.

Off the field, the World Cup presents an opportunity for fans, cricket fans, to travel the world and to know the world, for countries, host countries, to preen themselves - to parade their beauty, their hospitality, the charm of their people, and to earn some money.

And for the West Indies, this is especially so.

The previous World Cup tournaments were held in Britain (four times), in India and Pakistan, in Australia and New Zealand, in Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka, in Britain and Holland, and in South Africa and Zimbabwe, and although they were all well supported, none of them attracted the number of visitors that this one is expected to attract.

tourist destination

The Caribbean is a tourist destination and it is one of the most beautiful places in the world, the music of the Caribbean is among the most exciting in the world, and the people of the Caribbean are among the nicest, the friendliest people in the world, the Caribbean is next door to the United States of America - the home of nationals from almost every country, and thousands upon thousands of visitors are expected in the Caribbean to enjoy some exciting cricket and everything else that the region has to offer.

With the winners list reading West Indies at Lord's, West Indies at Lord's, India at Lord's, Australia at the Eden Gardens, Pakistan at the MCG, Sri Lanka at the Gaddafi Stadium, Australia at Lord's, and Australia at The Wanderers, no home team has ever won the World Cup - and that means the West Indies have a chance of creating history in what promises to be the best and most enjoyable World Cup ever.