Tony BeccaTHE NEXT World Cup of cricket is scheduled to take place in the West Indies in 2007 and, according to the organising committee, it will be the best World Cup ever.
For that to happen, however, the West Indies will have to better South Africa's effort in 2003 and based on what has been happening so far, the West Indies will have to get cracking in order to do that.
With less than two years to go to the World Cup, things like the building of new stadiums are generally behind schedule and despite all the promise that everything will be in place and ready in time, there is a growing concern that they will not either that, or there will be a mad rush to get them ready.
The opening ceremony and a few practice matches, for example, are scheduled for the proposed new stadium in Trelawny but despite all the talk and all the promises, nothing much has been happening there certainly not up to a week ago.
Lest it be forgotten, the ICC has ruled that the stadium in Trelawny, like all the new stadiums being built for the World Cup, must be ratified in order to host matches, that simply means that matches
must be played before it can
be ratified, and with a promise that it will be ready by October/November next year, the plan is to play a few matches in the regional four-day tourna-ment there.
The promise is based on who is building the stadium.
The stadium will be built by the Government of China, the work force will be Chinese, they are known for their speed and efficiency, and there is confidence in some quarters that 14 months or so is enough time for them to finish it and for the cricket pitches to be laid and ready for play.
UNITY IN ORGANISATION
If that happens, if all the stadiums in the region are ready for the start of World Cup 2007, that would be great.
The hosting of a World Cup tournament, however, and especially so if it is to be remembered as the best ever, involves more than the building of new stadiums and the renovation of old ones.
With 16 teams, plus officials, special guests, the media and thousands of visitors, it also involves, among other things, accommodation, transportation, security, medical facilities and entertainment and, unless things change, unless there is unity among those on the organising committee, that also could be a problem.
Right now, there is no love lost between Rawle Brancker chairman of Cricket World Cup 2007, and Chris Dehring managing director of CWC 2007. It has been so ever since their appointment two years ago, that is one reason why so many things are behind schedule.
If it continues the West Indies will be lucky to put on a successful World Cup much less the best ever, and new president Ken Gordon and the members of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) need to do something about it before it is too late.
For those who do not know or do not remember, there were those around the region, and particularly so in Barbados, who were against Dehring's appointment and who, even after he was appointed, went through his contract with a fine-teeth comb.
For those who do not know
or do not remember, Dehring almost did not take up the appointment because of that.
For those who do not know or do not remember, the committee marked time and lost valuable time because of that.
TENSION
For those who do not know, there has always been tension between Brancker and Dehring to the point where the board, in an effort to make peace, had to intervene a year ago, and for those who do not know, nothing, it appears, has changed to the point where the ICC is now aware of the conflict between the two.
On top of all that, there was a rumour in Barbados just before the board's AGM in St. Maarten recently that Brancker was about to be fired a rumour that probably led to a report in some newspapers that the board had discussed the problem during its meeting and had unanimously decided against removing Brancker.
For those who do not know, that was not true.
According to members of the board, no such discussion took place at the meeting.
The problem, it appears, is that Brancker has not been doing a good job, that he wants to have his own way even though he is not doing a good job, and that Dehring believes Brancker's way could hurt the World Cup and West Indies cricket and is willing to stand his ground.
The World Cup is big, a lot of money is at stake, the ICC, the West Indies, and the other participating teams stand to lose if it is not a success, a conflict between the chairman and the managing director is a recipe for failure, and before the ICC steps in, the West Indies board should do so.
The board should deal with the problem now, and in dealing with it, it should be firm. Based on what has gone on, a change is necessary, and the change should be made before it is too late.
The board should remember that as good as the World Cup was in 2003, South Africa still owes the ICC some US$50 million due to fines for failing to fulfil the Host Agreement.
The future of West Indies cricket depends on the money the West Indies get out of the World Cup. It therefore cannot afford to lose money because of someone's ego.
