Representatives of the Participating Nations in next year’s ICC Cricket
World Cup are leaving the Caribbean this weekend confident that their
players will be well looked after during the tournament.At the conclusion of the ICC CWC 2007 Pre-Tournament Team Managers’
Meeting yesterday in Barbados, managers and other officials from 15 of
the 16 teams (India was not represented) applauded the plans of CWC’s
Cricket Operations Department, particularly innovations to ensure teams
have the most comfortable and hassle-free environment in which to
compete for cricket’s ultimate prize.
 
Speaking at a Media Briefing, South African manager, Goolam Rajah,
declared that “if this meeting is anything to go by the West Indies will
have a superb (Cricket) World Cup”.
 
“The ingredients are definitely here for it to be the best ever. The
amount of detail which these guys have gone into is frightening. They
will have us getting off planes and directly onto a bus. That’s never
happened before.
 
“They have said that this World Cup is about the players and they are
matching it in their actions. This meeting has been well organised and
extremely informative. The Caribbean has further convinced me that it’s
on the right path,” said the long-standing manager, who has toured the
region twice with the South African team.
 
Euan McIntyre, the manager of newcomers Scotland, was equally high in
praise. He revealed that he had already been on the phone with cricket
officials back home, outlining how “amazing” everything will be next
year.
 
“We didn’t have to ask many questions. They had all the answers there,”
he stated.
 
President of the Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB), Reginald Pearman, also
described the two-day briefing as “very informative”, especially for a
first-time Participating Nation like his country.
 
“Talking to some of the more experienced officials who have been to
these meetings before, these guys down here are very well organised and
have given us more information than those guys have gotten at other
World Cup meetings,” he said.
 
Adding that Bermuda is keen to compete at the highest level, he believes
the players’ zest will intensify even more after he and his BCB
colleague, Neil Speight, report on this meeting.
 
Pakistan coach, Bob Woolmer, and Operations Manager of the England
Cricket Board, Phil Neale, also had positive comments.
 
The latter termed the meeting “very useful” as it gives managers a
chance to discuss common issues.
 
“The presentations here have been very thorough and have laid to rest a
lot of those concerns and all credit to the organisation. I think
they’re doing a fantastic job. We have all been impressed by the state
of preparations for the Cricket World Cup and we’re all looking forward
to the competition now,” said Neale, whose sentiments were echoed by
Woolmer.
 
Acknowledgement of the excellent work being done came from the Event
owners too - the ICC - whose General Manager for Cricket, David
Richardson, addressed delegates on matters such as the tournament’s
Technical Committee, the Replacement of Players and the Playing
Conditions.
 
“Cricket World Cup 2007 must be congratulated for this meeting. It’s
such a pleasure for the ICC to be pushed by the Host to sign off on
various things, like the travel schedule and the accommodation plan, as
opposed to ICC chasing the Host for delivery of those types of things,”
noted the former South African Test player.
 
“The evidence of the planning that we have seen in this meeting has been
exceptional and, yes, we realise there has to be delivery (of the
venues) and overlay to come, but Michael Hall (ICC CWC 2007 Cricket
Operations Director) needs to be congratulated for his efforts thus
far.”
 
President of the Federation of International Cricket Associations
(FICA), Tim May, said the “two days have shown the organising committee
to be highly competent. There were some fears regarding the Cricket
World Cup - founded or unfounded - but this meeting has proven them to
be unfounded”.
 
Cricket Operations Managers of the nine Local Organising Committees
(LOCs) also attended the Pre-Tournament Team Managers’ Meeting; many
seizing the opportunity to interact with the team officials.

 
Saint Lucia Cricket Operations Manager, Denis James, used the occasion
to liaise with representatives of the four teams which will play their
Group Stage matches in that island - especially Canada and Kenya as he
was meeting them for the first time.
 
“The interaction between Cric Ops managers and team managers is very
important. I was expecting more questions from the team managers but
they seem to be comfortable with the arrangements we have in place.”
 
“I have exchanged some ideas with them and email (addresses) so we can
continue to communicate over the coming months, so that by the time
Cricket World Cup is upon us we have everything sorted out,” he said.
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