Peter Espeut

WELL FOR us it's almost over. There is only one more Cricket World Cup match left to be played in Jamaica, one of the semi-finals. We have already received about 90 per cent of whatever benefits we were expecting by helping to stage the third biggest sporting event in the world. We had some warm-up matches in Florence Hall, Trelawny. In the first round we had with us here in Jamaica four of the 16 teams in the competition, each playing three matches at Sabina Park; for the semi-final we will have two teams in the island playing one match. Yes, for us it's almost over.

The West Indies is famous for fast bowlers, but in the aftermath of the Cricket World Cup look for the spinners! Spiders spin webs to catch unsuspecting prey. It is we they are trying to catch in their webs! "The payback of the legacy of the World Cup is over the long term. We will continue to reap the benefits of this World Cup decades after the last ball is bowled," they will say. In other words, "Don't look at the billions we have spent and the little actual monetary returns we will have gained. Project into the future and add up all that we will earn, and you will see the real gains! That will be the legacy of the World Cup."

Such an argument is nothing but spin, for whatever you apply it to, there can only be winning, and no losing. For example, "The long-term legacy of poverty, illiteracy and underdevelopment in Jamaica is that hundreds of thousands of Jamaicans have migrated to foreign parts and send back billions annually in remittances." What about: "The long-term legacy of crime is that we will have built up a first-class police force." How about this topical one: "The long-term legacy of the slave trade is that we are here, and we own Jamaica."

Long-term benefits for Jamaica

And so, if you believe the spinners, Jamaica will reap long-term benefits from the billions we have spent in hosting the 2007 IWC Cricket World Cup. For example, the cameras that are here will show Jamaican scenery, which will attract millions of tourists from all over the world in the years to come.

Let me ask you: Do you think that because live telecasts of these cricket matches are being made available to all TV and cable stations which will pay for it, that cricket will become more popular in the world? Do you think that any more people, any different people, will watch Cricket World Cup than watch Test match cricket? The people who will watch cricket are people from Test cricket countries, including those who have migrated to other lands. While watching Test cricket over the years, they will have seen footage from Jamaica and elsewhere in the Caribbean, broadcast during the Test matches. If that didn't make them come, watching footage during the World Cup will not make them come. Where is this 'legacy' going to come from?

Where is the legacy?

Like thousands of other Jamaicans, I have been watching on television cricket matches played in Jamaica, Guyana, Antigua, Trinidad, etc. Let me ask you: have you seen any scenery of any of these islands outside of the cricket grounds? Are you any more familiar with Guyana, Antigua and Trinidad than you were before? Where is this 'legacy' going to come from?

Let me ask you: Do you think that because Cricket World Cup is being played in Jamaica, rich investors will come here to watch, and at the same time - in between matches - invest millions of dollars in Jamaican business ventures? Where is this 'legacy' going to come from?

I wish some of these spinners would have offered their services to the West Indies team. We might have done better in the matches, for our bowling has been less than adequate.