Chris Dehring ... full of confidence for the World Cup. - File

Tony Becca, Contributing Editor

THE WORLD Cup of Cricket is a fortnight away. For Chris Dehring, however, the managing director and chief executive officer of ICC CWC West Indies 2007, and the man who, along with Pat Rousseau, former president of the West Indies Cricket Board, convinced the 'Doubting Thomases' in the West Indies to bid for the World Cup and then led the West Indies' bid for the event, the World Cup began last Monday - on February 19.

"For us at Cricket World Cup, the World Cup is less than 100 hours away," said a beaming and confident Dehring last week. "That is when the teams start to arrive. In fact, for us the World Cup began last Monday - the deadline for turning everything over to the ICC."

As one of the two who were there from the beginning, as the man responsible for putting the World Cup together, Dehring is satisfied with the present state of things. In fact, he is more than satisfied. He is happy and proud.

But for a few things like the road from Montego Bay to the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium where warm-up matches and the opening ceremony will be held, the Norman Manley International Airport, which will still be under construction, the problem with the opening and closing of South Camp Road, the late start in an attempt to clean up the city, and the slow movement of tickets as far as the purchase by locals are concerned, Dehring is in seventh heaven.

"All we need now is a good West Indies team," said Dehring. "We are hosting the tournament, we are ready for the tournament. All we need to do now is to pack out the stadiums and a good performance by the West Indies is important to that. We just have to keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best."

Confident

Dehring, however, is hopeful. In fact, he is more than hopeful. He is confident that a full Sabina Park will greet the Windies when they take on Pakistan in the opening match and that the atmosphere will be such that it will inspire and motivate the team to some wonderful performances.

"Like everyone else, I am not so sure about the bowling. But even though Runako Morton is out, I am sure that our batting, with Brian (Lara), Chris (Gayle), (Ramnaresh) Sarwan, (Shivnarine) Chanderpaul and Marlon (Samuels), will click, and if it clicks, we have a good chance of going all the way and winning the World Cup."

In making the bid for the World Cup and convincing the regional governments to back the West Indies' bid, Dehring and Rousseau argued that hosting the World Cup would be good for the tourist industry and thus the economy of the region, and Dehring still believes so.

ticket sales going well

"The sale of tickets by tour operators overseas has been fantastic," said Dehring, "that means that we will have a lot of visitors, and I am positive that they will be spending a lot of money.

"On top of that, scenes of the Caribbean from the Caribbean will be beamed live on television right around the world and the tourism interest in the region could not ask for more. Cricket World Cup will sell Jamaica as Jamaica has never ever been sold before."

What has really made Dehring so happy and so proud, however, is the legacy of the World Cup.

"The legacy will be enormous," said Dehring. "For example, when it is all over, and apart from the nice roads and clean cities, the lasting relationships that will exist from working together on one common project for the benefit of all, there will be nine new modern stadiums in the region."

There has never ever been anything like that in previous World Cups.

"The experience, working with some 10,000 people around the region, has been great," said Dehring. "We promised the best World Cup ever, and I am now, more than ever, convinced that Cricket World Cup 2007, on and off the field, will be the best ever."