Hosting the ICC Cricket World Cup, the third largest international sporting event after the Olympics and the soccer World Cup, is an “impossible dream come true" for the Caribbean.
This is particularly noteworthy for these small and mini-states that are not exactly well-endowed with a multitude of cricket stadia, financial and other kinds of resources.

But it’s a dream, that’s come true.

Having been one of the major cricketing nations for at least 56 years, it had to happen sooner rather than later that the West Indies would bring home the ICC Cricket World Cup - for now, the event that is.

And it will happen between March and April this year in nine individual states which make up the W.I. cricket nation.


Hundreds of millions of hard-currency dollars have been spent on constructing new stadia, renovating old ones, refurbishing hotels; even individual home owners have invested large sums in the expectation to attract guests when all hotel rooms are sold out.


(Expected earnings from CWC) will be enough to at least get W.I cricket back on (firm) financial footing


Chris Dehring, CWC Managing Director

People in villages and towns in Guyana, Jamaica and Antigua have been astonished to see open pastures and cane fields transformed into modern cricket stadia.

Governments too have given financial guarantees for cruise liners to be moored at ports to offer accommodation to those of the expected 100,000 visitors who cannot find rooms on land.

Great expectations

The great expectation is to “host the best ever ICC cricket World Cup.”

The organisers have consistently said this is not mere mobilisation for a major sporting event; but rather a show-piece for a small developing group of individual nations to demonstrate to the world what they can do.

The expectation from the W.I. Cricket Board is that the tens of million of dollars to be earned from staging the Cricket World Cup “will be enough to at least get W.I cricket back on financial footing after years of losses,” says Managing Director of the event.


Mello, the CWC mascot

Governments and officials at the Caribbean Community Secretariat, are said to be “a little bit jealous to see the kind of cooperation and effort that regional people have put into this event,” says Dehring.

But governments too have had successes in passing so-called Sunset Legislation (laws which apply only for the duration of the CWC) to allow for free movement of cricket fans from one country to the other.

This will follow an initial inspection at one port and the acquisition of one visa to cross several national immigration borders. (see 'Visa Update' below)

“And we are sure that the security arrangements and linkages would endure well beyond the World Cup, to fundamentally improve the capacity of law enforcement within the region,” says Barbados’ Deputy Prime Minister, Mia Mottley.

Whatever those “secular” expectations, what will bring greatest pride to West Indians, would be victory for in the finals.

If that expectation climaxes in reality on April 28 at the Kensington Oval, Barbados the prolonged roar and celebrations will reverberate throughout the region and be heard and felt everywhere in the cricketing world and for a long time.



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