CARICOM, LOCs and CWC2007

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The Cricket World Cup 2007 is almost at an end and the region reels from disappointment in almost every aspect of the event. The region’s cricket bosses are at a stage where they could well be considering mass resignations, leaving the way clear for people with a strong sense of history, an understanding of what the problems are, the vision to lead us on to a new page in the sport and the capacity to effect the vision. If the regional Governments had any sense they would probably each have called for a comprehensive investigation into all aspects of the preparations for and hosting of the CWC2007 in the Caribbean. But that may well prove an embarrassment even to the very Governments themselves and hence we are not likely to hear of any investigation at all.
CWC  LOCs
I insist that when the West Indies Cricket Board, WICB, was awarded the CWC2007 there was really no cost benefit analysis undertaken either by the WICB itself or any of the Governments involved. It would appear that only Bermuda allowed their brains to be effected before making a decision. That country was awarded some warm up matches and eventually gave it up upon realising the expenses. There is a strong suggestion that it was the Bermuda package that St Vincent and the Grenadines so readily accepted in its stead and all of St Vincent and the Grenadines is left to pay the heavy price.
Across the region the politics of the CWC2007 grew in immense proportions. In many countries the Government eagerly sought to play the political game especially in some cases where elections were and perhaps still are pending. The politicians readily saw the CWC2007 as an opportunity to showcase all that they had done in their respective countries enough to garner more support at the local level and so walk away with another term in Government.
In some cases, it was a matter of virtually ingratiating themselves on an unsuspecting public so that their political popularity could be restored and the masses allowed, at least momentarily, to forget their intransigencies in so far as genuine development of the nation is concerned.