Tony Becca

Starting with the opening ceremony in Trelawny on March 11, Cricket World Cup 2007 is now only 51 days away and apart from the cricket buffs in the region looking towards the action and assessing the chances of each of the 16 teams while anticipating some exciting play and a good performance by the home team, every single West Indian should be busy getting ready to host the world.

As one of the biggest sporting events in the world, the World Cup offers many opportunities to sell the region to the world, to make some money during and long after the event and unlike the countries who have hosted it in the past, that side of the World Cup means a lot to the Caribbean.

In fact, that is one reason, probably the main reason, why the respective governments backed the West Indies' bid to host the World Cup and have spent so much money preparing for it.

Criticism

However, instead of getting ready to host the world, to welcome them with our beauty, hospitality and charm, and to entertain them with our music, our rum, many of us, and especially so here in Jamaica, have been criticising the governments on two fronts.

On one hand, the government, here in Jamaica, is being accused by some people of spending too much money on things like the building of a new stadium and the renovation of Sabina Park. On the other hand, despite its many promises, it is being accused of not spending enough money on things like the beautification of the city which has become an eye-sore.

In a country of selfish, one-eyed people, in which people no longer consider the consequences and in which so many people have lost the spirit of hospitality, there are those who criticise the government for the inconvenience caused by things like road repairs and for the inconvenience of closing of roads to facilitate security during the World Cup and to accommodate traffic bound for World Cup matches at Sabina Park.

There are also those who want to make some money for themselves, but who, instead of spending their own money in an effort to do so, are not only looking towards the government to spend the people's money in what is fast becoming a freeness mentality country, but are also criticising the government for not doing so.

Huge undertaking

The World Cup of cricket is a huge undertaking and I am certain that based on the cost of building new stadiums and renovating old ones, of putting in place the kind of security needed in this day and age - and certainly so since 9/11 - of ensuring good health care, and of looking after the general comfort of our guests, some of the governments have regretted hosting the tournament and probably would never do it again.

The fact of the matter, however, is that even 10 or 11 years ago when the West Indies Cricket Board, supported by the governments of the region, made its bid to host the World Cup and nine years ago when it won the bid to host the World, no one knew that something like security would have become so important.

What everyone knew, however, was that the World Cup was something big; that because of its appeal around the world, it would have been a great attraction; that because this region is among the world's best tourist attractions, thousands of visitors would be tempted to come - to mix some cricket with some relaxation; and, that it would have been a golden opportunity for the region, including Jamaica, to make some money and to sell itself in an effort to make more money in the future.

Selling Jamaica is not only the responsibility of the Jamaica Cricket Association; it is not only the responsibility of the Local Organising Committee;; and it is not only the responsibility of the government.

Beautification

Selling Jamaica is also the responsibility of the people of Jamaica, and especially they, and not cricket, are the ones who are going to make money during the tournament and hopefully long after the tournament. It is more so the responsibility of the business sector and more so of the tourist industry.

When it comes to beautification, for example, the tourist board in Jamaica, like the tourist board in Barbados, should have been leading the way. Instead of behaving like the World Cup did not exist or as if it was a competitor, it should have been encouraging the people of Jamaica to get involved, for example, to paint their houses.

The Jamaica Tourist Board should have ensured, for example, not that it will be ready enough to use, that the Norman Manley International Airport would have been completed by the start of the World Cup.