Shaping up for World Cup 2007

Caribbean Culture
Two years out from the commencement of the Cricket World Cup and we are in no way near where we should be by this time in respect of our preparations as hosts.
We in the Caribbean boast all too often to the rest of the world that we are a laid back people with a calypso mentality. No one is quite certain what the latter means but it has been quite fashionable over the years.
The truth is that preparing to host the Cricket World Cup in 2007 is one of the greatest challenges the region has ever undertaken.
As it currently stands it does appear that the WICB is expecting that the different governments will provide all the funding required to develop the infrastructure appropriate for the event yet at the same time, the organisation expects that it would be left alone to determine all the other matters relating to the hosting of the World Cup. In a sense the WICB is seen almost as suggesting that the government’s responsibility lies with funding the infrastructure and facilitating regional travel by the participating teams and officials while the rest of the preparations and the actual administration of the event rests with the WICB.
Already some governments are uncertain whether they would be able to meet the expected financial inputs and others ponder on the returns on their investments.
The lack of experience at the regional level in respect of hosting this type of mega event over such an extended period may well be the one disturbing element in the preparatory exercise.
Perhaps the governments need to take a closer interest in what is actually taking place, not by having the politicians become sports technical, in the sudden manner in which they normall
y do in other fields, but by placing the right people as support within the local committees to safeguard their interests as well as the image of the country in all that has to be done.
There are those politicians who, instead of confronting the realities before us lay claim to a sort of airy fairy optimism under the guise of creative leadership yet who are unwilling to accept blame when projects fail. This approach benefits no one and leaves us in a worst state than hitherto.
The Cricket World Cup 2007 is a regional undertaking and it requires more than a mere handful of lovers of the sport and certainly more than a few well-meaning leaders of the game.
There has to be a more concerted effort aimed at mobilising the region for what is coming than we are seeing at present.
No one can be satisfied with the level of the preparatory exercise thus far.