Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer 
The Chief Operations Officer and Venue Development Director of ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, Don Lockerbie (second left), leads International Cricket Council (ICC) and Global Cricket Council (GCC) officials on a tour of Sabina Park yesterday. From left - CWC Inc. CEO and managing director Chris Dehring, ICC venue consultant professor Eugene van Vuuren, Christopher Smith, venue development manager of the Local Organising Committee, and CWC operations director Michael Hall. – Anthony Foster Photo
CHIEF OPERATIONS Officer and Venue Development Director of ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, Don Lockerbie, has called on the contractors to step up work at Sabina Park.
Lockerbie, who led members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Global Cricket Council (GCC) on a visit at Sabina Park yesterday, told journalists that he wanted to see a more speedy work.
"We will want to see that three to four weeks (behind schedule) caught up with by May of this year and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) is aware of that," Lockerbie said after learning that work at the venue was behind schedule.
Lockerbie said he wanted better news ahead of the team's second visit in May, days before his group meets with the ICC.
"We would like to believe in that next two and three months we will be able to have most of that three or four weeks caught up," he said while commending the work taking place at Sabina Park.
He added he was confident the contractors would catch up.
"We certainly know that those three to four weeks can and will be put together in their schedule. We are quite pleased, that with all the things the stadium had to go through, it has gotten where it is right now.
"That three to four weeks is certainly a time period we can live with," he said.
Over the past five days, Lockerbie has been leading ICC and GCC officials on stadium visits in five countries.
So far, the team of professor Eugene van Vuuren of South Africa, (venue development officer for South Africa 2003), GCC broadcast manager Rick Jemison from Australia (here to see broadcast facilities), Andy Atkinson, ICC pitch and field consultant, and Professor Jeff Artherton (sports agronomy team co-ordinator, CWC Inc.), have visited Barbados, Guyana, Grenada and Antigua.
Lockerbie said van Vuuren was pleased with the progress he has seen to date across the islands.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 CEO and managing director Chris Dehring and cricket operations director Michael Hall, along with members from the LOC and contractors joined the tour yesterday.
The team will journey to Trelawny today to look at Greenfield and practice pitches on the north coast.
Atkinson, the ICC pitch and field consultant said: "Trelawny was coming on nicely when I was there before (December).
As for Sabina Park, Atkinson said things were on the move.
"I can see a definite improvement," he said, comparing it to his last visit in December.
"The grass is thickened and the outfield is looking fantastic."
He said that the pitch was also well ahead of schedule. Atkinson, who is also in charge of practice venues, said he had already visited Chedwin Park, Melbourne and Kensington Park.
