TTCB – News

Countdown to Twenty20 World Cup
January 21, 2010

Members of the ICC WT20 West Indies 2010 Project Team celebrate “100 Days To Go” until the start of the tournament with Saint Lucia Minister of Sports, Lenard Montoute (fifth left) and West Indies Cricket Board President, Dr Julian R Hunte (sixth left).

AS THE Caribbean marks 100 days until the start of ICC World Twenty20 West Indies 2010, Tournament Director Robert Bryan says “momentum is mounting as the region gears up to host the blockbuster cricket event”.

“Coming into 2010 we have seen increased interest in the tournament with more fans enquiring about and indeed buying tickets. They realise that we’re just three months away from the biggest Twenty20 party and there’s a lot more talk and excitement about ICC WT 20.

“We have the best of the best in international cricket coming to the West Indies for two weeks of riveting action in men’s and women’s cricket and fans don’t want to miss out,” he said, speaking to media at a brief ceremony at Beausejour Cricket Ground in Saint Lucia to herald the 100-day countdown yesterday.

Additionally, he noted tournament preparations have intensified and will continue to do so with “less than 100 days to go now”.

“There will be a final venue inspection later this month to ensure that all elements of preparation are progressing as they should be and to check out the venues and the renovations that are being done to make them ready for match day. We are pleased with how things have been going and we expect to deliver a superb, world-class spectacle of which the West Indies can be proud,” said Mr. Bryan.

After giving a short update on work at Beausejour – slated to host First Round, Super Eight and Semi Final matches – he invited media, government and sports officials to tour the venue and see the ongoing upgrades to the facility.

“The ICC WT20 Project Team has been working closely with the Ministry of Youth and Sports as well as Sports Saint Lucia Inc to bring Beausejour up to the required standard. This work began last November and is scheduled to be finished by month-end (January 2010),” explained the ICC WT20 2010 Tournament Director.

“One of the unique features of the ICC WT20 tournament is that double-headers will be held on all match days. This necessitates the simultaneous use of four dressing rooms. As we know, standard cricket ground across the Caribbean have two dressing rooms and this has meant that two additional dressing rooms had to be built here at Beausejour.

“The new third and fourth dressing rooms are currently being constructed on the second floor of the Vieux Fort Players’ Pavilion. One of these dressing rooms has been completed while work has begun on the other and this should be done by mid-February.”

Guests, including West Indies Cricket Board President Dr Julian R. Hunte and Saint Lucia’s Minister of Sports Lenard Montoute, were also given an update on the pitch and field and general refurbishment of the stadium.

Bryan also reported that preparations in the three other host venues – Barbados, Guyana and St. Kitts – are progressing smoothly and “we are confident that all deadlines will be met as we move towards hosting this significant event”.

Pitch preparations: (from left, foreground) ICC WT20 West Indies 2010 Tournament Director, Robert Bryan; West Indies Cricket Board President, Dr Julian R. Hunte; ICC WT20 WI 2010 Cricket Operations Officer – Saint Lucia, Vaughn Charles; and Saint Lucia Minister of Sports, Lenard Montoute, tour the pitch and field.