Biggest Sporting event ever- The Caribbean ready for WORLD CUP Cricket 2007.

[PILOT]

Caribbean leaders gear up for Cup preparation

'07 cricket playoffs in Caribbean

London, England, Jul. 6 (UPI) -- The International Cricket Council has decided to hold the 2007 World Cup matches in traditional West Indian venues in the Caribbean and Guyana.

However, the ICC also said it hoped to stage warm up games in Florida, which the U.S. cricket association had picked in its bid to host the 2007 championships, the Financial Times reported Tuesday.

Eight venues will host the 51 matches of the tournament: Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts, St Lucia and Trinidad. The distribution of the tournament around the eight venues will make the Caribbean World Cup the most logistically complicated in the tournament's history.

A record 16 teams will participate in the 2007 World Cup, the 10 Test-playing nations and six qualifiers .

St George’s (Grenada), July 6. — Caribbean leaders promised to speed up planning for the 2007 Cricket World Cup after eight Caribbean countries were chosen to host matches.
Grenada’s Prime Minister Mr Keith Mitchell said yesterday at the region’s annual summit that governments must especially focus on improving air travel, noting that several Caribbean leaders had to travel an entire day to reach the summit in Grenada.

There are few direct flights between islands in the Caribbean. Caribbean officials are discussing using charter flights, ferries and cruise ships to transport players, tourists and journalists during the month long tournament. The Caribbean’s two biggest airlines, BWIA and LIAT, have struggled since the 11 September attacks in the USA that caused a sharp drop in passengers and higher insurance and security costs.

Officials are also considering asking US and British Airlines to increase flights in the region during the tournament. Yesterday, the International Cricket Council announced the eight venues for the 2007 World Cup. They are: Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts, St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago. Twelve bids were considered. — AP

[quodlibet]

Re: Biggest Sporting event ever- The Caribbean ready for WORLD CUP Cricket 2007.

[grandma2]

Re: Biggest Sporting event ever- The Caribbean ready for WORLD CUP Cricket 2007.

mi did tink it was the Biggest Sporting event ever [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

hi (((quodlibet))) hi (((PILOT)))

[Suesumba]

Re: Biggest Sporting event ever- The Caribbean ready for WORLD CUP Cricket 2007.

missed it, who won?

[PILOT]

Re: Biggest Sporting event ever- The Caribbean ready for WORLD CUP Cricket 2007.

Hi G2, quod, Sue, The west indies will be at the centre of their biggest sporting event ever, come 2007. World CUP Cricket.

G2 if cricket is not your sport, you will still learn to appreciate the significance of the event when you see the thousands of tourists from many nations who will be bustling to be apart of the event.

As the report above highlights even european tour operators and airlines are already warming up to this event. Big, Big , hits for many months ahead. watch out!

[PILOT]

Re: Biggest Sporting event ever- The Caribbean ready for WORLD CUP Cricket 2007.

Sabina Park to host Cricket World Cup matches



Jamaica has been selected among eight regional countries to host the 2007 International Cricket Council, ICC, World Cup.

However the bid for the proposed multi-sports stadium to be constructed at Greenfield in Trelawny was rejected.

There is also no place on the list of eight countries for the United States and Bermuda who had both indicated an interest in hosting matches.

The announcement was made on the morning of Monday July, 6, 2004 in Britain by President of the West Indies Cricket Board Teddy Griffith.

The World Cup will start in February 2007 and is due to feature 16 teams and 51 matches.

There will be four first round groups, with the top two from each progressing to a new Super 8 second round format.
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The ICC will confirm the tournament schedule Tommorrow July 13 at a function in Jamaica. News courtesy of RadioJamaica.com

[PILOT]

Re: Biggest Sporting event ever- The Caribbean ready for WORLD CUP Cricket 2007.

Jamaica to host opening ceremony of Cricket World Cup 2007

Jamaica has won the right to host the opening ceremony for Cricket World Cup 2007.

The announcement of this and the package of matches in the World Cup were made Tuesday night at a ceremony in Montego Bay.

Jamaica will also host the West Indies team for all its preliminary matches in the first round of the competition, as well as one of the high-profile semi-final matches.

The much sought-after final match of the World Cup tournament has been awarded to Barbados.

But according to Ann Shirley, Senior Advisor to Sports Minister, Portia Simpson Miller, Jamaica should reap significant benefits from the package awarded.

The award of match packages is as follows:

Black – Final, 3 of the largest Super Eight matches and 3 other Super 8 matches - Barbados

Yellow - Opening Ceremony and Opening Game, 1 semi-final, 6 first round matches (West Indies team) - Jamaica

Blue – 1 semi-final and 6 first round matches (England team) – St Lucia

Red – 3 of the largest Super Eight matches and 3 other Super Eight matches – Antigua and Barbuda

Green 1 – 6 Super Eight matches - Grenada

Green 2 – 6 Super Eight matches - Guyana

Brown – 6 first round matches (India team) – Trinidad & Tobago

Orange – 6 first round matches (Australia team) – St Kitts- Nevis

The message of the evening was of ‘Caribbean Unity’ ahead of the competition, which will be the biggest event ever hosted in the Caribbean.

Prior to the announcement, International Cricket Council (ICC) President Ehsan Mani delivering remarks at the Award of Matches Ceremony said: “Cricket has a unique ability to draw together the people of this glorious region and the strength of this bond will be crucial to the successful hosting of the ICC Cricket World Cup.

“Whatever the outcome of tonight’s match allocation, tomorrow the entire cricketing world will be looking to the West Indies to unite and deliver the biggest sporting event the Caribbean has ever seen.

Local Organizing Committees (LOCs) as well as cricket fans and supporters across the Caribbean have been advised by Chairman of ICC CWC W.I. 2007 Inc, Rawle Brancker, to “let the brilliance of the BID process now permeate every corner of the Caribbean in a way that will convert the plans into permanent reality and the challenges into opportunities for the resourcefulness of our talented people to be seen around the world, as being more than capable of planning and executing a flawless ICC Cricket World Cup in 2007.”

Mr Brancker in his comments aimed not only at the LOCs but the wider Caribbean added: “There is, however, little time left, but enough for us to do the job. There is no time for celebration, instead, let us, consolidate, harmonise our approach and unite towards the one purpose of staging the best World Cup event.

Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell said during this evening’s function, “I believe, without a doubt that we in the Caribbean have the will, the ability and the creativity to rise to the challenge and make 2007 the most memorable of all ICC Cricket World Cups.

“I say this because, in the West Indies, cricket is the glue that binds us together. Each of our countries individually and the region collectively, have a rich cricket history. We have given much to the cricket world and it is thus fitting that 2007 should be our year.”

President of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), Mr. Teddy Griffith, praised the Heads of Government for their support to this stage: “From the time the Heads of Government were first approached in 1998, our leaders have committed themselves to the process and we owe them a debt of gratitude for staying the course with us and agreeing to undertake the significant investment that this event calls for.”

Mr Griffith has also indicated that the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 would leave a legacy of economic benefit as well as a required “improvement of and addition to the cricketing facilities to which sadly we have admittedly not paid sufficient attention in the past.”

There will be a total of 51 matches with 24 games in the Super Eight stage, two semi-finals and then the final. It is estimated that the ICC Cricket World Cup, the third biggest sports event in the world, will be viewed every day by hundreds of millions of people around the globe.

New venues will be built in Antigua and Guyana while the remaining six venues will undergo major upgrades in order to host international matches.----------------------------------------------------News from the RJR News Centre in Kingston, Jamaica, visit Radiojamaica.com for your latest news and information.

[Suesumba]

Re: Biggest Sporting event ever- The Caribbean ready for WORLD CUP Cricket 2007.

Originally posted by PILOT:
[qb] Hi G2, quod, Sue, The west indies will be at the centre of their biggest sporting event ever, come 2007. World CUP Cricket.[/qb]

i'm buying my jamaican flag from now - you guys should have seen the greeks and portuguese flying their flags - after a while it was quite nauseating although i admit i would have been doing the same thing if the reggae boyz had made it to euro2004 [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[LadyDayshah]

Re: Biggest Sporting event ever- The Caribbean ready for WORLD CUP Cricket 2007.

so the 2007 championships will be held in Florida????

if so,which pawt?? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[tonirand]

Re: Biggest Sporting event ever- The Caribbean ready for WORLD CUP Cricket 2007.

Dat ought to be something worth taking in.

[Hush Darlin]

Re: Biggest Sporting event ever- The Caribbean ready for WORLD CUP Cricket 2007.

Originally posted by (H)AnnA(H):
[qb] Dat ought to be something worth taking in.

[/qb]

so stap thinking and go take it in

[PILOT]

Re: Biggest Sporting event ever- The Caribbean ready for WORLD CUP Cricket 2007.



The first attempt at a World Championship of cricket was in 1912, when a three-way series was arranged between the current Test playing nations, Australia, England and South Africa. Dogged by poor weather, the experiment was not repeated until 1975, when following the success of domestic one-day competitions, the six Test playing nations (England, Australia, New Zealand, West Indies, India and Pakistan) were joined by Sri Lanka and East Africa in the first World Cup. A resounding success, the tournament has taken place very four years since. In May and June of 1999, the 7th World Cup was played in England, Scotland, Ireland, and the Netherlands. A brief look at previous editions of World Cup:

First World Cup: The first World Cup was held in 1975 in England. Sponsored by the Prudential Insurance Company, it was called the Prudential World Cup. On June 21, 1975 at Lord's, West Indies led by Clive Lloyd beat Ian Chappell-led Australia by 17 runs to win the first World Cup.

Second World Cup: The second World Cup was held in 1979 in England. It was also called the Prudential World Cup as it was sponsored by the Prudential Insurance Company. Clive Lloyd led the West Indies to their second consecutive title when they beat hosts England led by Mike Brearley by 92 runs on June 23, 1979 at Lord's.

Third World Cup: Underdogs India stunned the world when led by Kapil Dev, they beat the mighty West Indies, led by Clive Lloyd, by 43 runs on June 25, 1983 at Lord's to lift the third Prudential World Cup.

Fourth World Cup: For the first time the World Cup was held in the sub-continent, jointly hosted by India and Pakistan. Known as the Reliance World Cup, Allan Border led Australia to a 7-run win over Mike Gatting-led England, on November 8, 1987 at the Eden Gardens in Calcutta.

Fifth World Cup: Jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, the Benson and Hedges World Cup was won by Pakistan. Imran Khan led his team to a 22-run win over Graham Gooch-led England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 25, 1992.

Sixth World Cup: The World Cup returned to the sub-continent in 1996 this time as the Wills World Cup. For the first time in the history of the tournament, the team chasing won as title [/b]Sri Lankans led by Arjuna Ranatunga sprang a surprise when they beat Mark Taylor-led Australia by seven wickets in Lahore[/b] on March 17, 1996.

Seventh World Cup: The World Cup returned to England now known as the ICC World Cup. Steve Waugh led the Aussies to a thumping win against Pakistan led by Wasim Akram in the final at Lord's on June 20, 1999.

World Cup 2003 final, Johannesburg:
Australia 359-2 (50 overs)
beat India 234 all out (39.1 overs) by 125 runs.

Australia clinched their third Cricket World Cup with a thumping 125-run victory over India.

Captain Ricky Ponting hit a blistering 140 as the Aussies scored a massive 359 for two - their highest-ever one-day total.

[PILOT]

Re: Biggest Sporting event ever- The Caribbean ready for WORLD CUP Cricket 2007.

Lara disappointed with World Cup 2007 schedule

BY FAZEER MOHAMMED

While offering the proviso that he was taking nothing for granted given the recent turbulence in West Indies cricket, Brian Lara is hopeful of appearing at the 2007 Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean, although he is not happy that the hosts will be based in just one island at the preliminary phase.

“It would be really nice to play at the World Cup,” the West Indies captain stated on the eve of his team’s opening match of the VB Series against Australia today (last night Caribbean time) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

“Unfortunately, I’m a bit saddened by the fact that the majority of our games will be played in Jamaica. I would really love to see the West Indies play around the Caribbean for the benefit of the people. It’s a great spectacle to have maybe the greatest sporting event ever in Caribbean history there. But even for all that, I would still love to play in 2007.”

If his international career prolongs for another two years, Lara will be appearing in his fifth World Cup at the age of 37.

The allocation of venues for the tournament last July placed the home team at Sabina Park in Kingston for their group matches.

Defending champions Australia will be based at a new venue in St Kitts, England and their legion of fans will make St Lucia’s Beausejour Stadium their home base in the early going, while 2003 beaten finalists India can expect sentimental support in T&T as they play their opening fixtures at the Queen’s Park Oval.

Yet as much as the prospect of a World Cup on home soil is a tantalising prospect, the experience of the recent impasse between the West Indies Cricket Board and the Players Association has taught the champion left-hander an important lesson.

“I’m taking each tour one at a time,” Lara explained.

“At 35, you never know what could crop up. It’s so unpredictable in the West Indies, before I came out here I was sacked. I don’t know what’s the situation and I can’t tell what the future holds for me.”

Lara and 15 other players were initially ruled out of consideration for the tour over their failure to sign contracts ahead of a three-week training camp in Barbados.

The last-minute resolution of the dispute mirrored a similar standoff over pay before the historic first full tour of South Africa in 1998/99, when Lara was also sacked as captain along with then vice-captain Carl Hooper before both were reinstated in what WICB president at the time, Pat

Rousseau, described as a ‘misunderstanding.’

Such was the debilitating effect of that crisis, coming as it did after the West Indies reached the final of the inaugural Mini-World Cup (now the ICC Champions’ Trophy) in Bangladesh, that a disjointed, rudderless outfit crashed 5-0 in the Test series and 6-1 in the One-Day Internationals.

It remains to be seen if the latest dispute has had any impact on team spirit in the wake of the Champions’ Trophy triumph last September in England, but Lara is mindful that his team may endure a shaky start to their six-match preliminary schedule in the VB Series.

“We’re going to improve as the tournament progresses,”he contended.

“But first and foremost we have to take into consideration that there is a team that’s full of confidence, Australia, and there is a team that is lacking in confidence, Pakistan. We’re not going to be in top form immediately, but we hope to start well and hope to continue improving so that we can keep Pakistan down in low spirits.”

Following the MCG curtain-raiser, the West Indies travel north to Brisbane to await their first date with Pakistan next Wednesday at The Gabba.

Before that clash, the Pakistanis, who were swept 3-0 in a Test series in the first part of their Australian tour, seek a measure of revenge against Ricky Ponting’s squad as they open their VB Series campaign on Sunday at Bellerive Oval in Hobart.

CMC

Trinidad Guardian

[hassan]

Re: Biggest Sporting event ever- The Caribbean ready for WORLD CUP Cricket 2007.

Pilot

¿Do you catch the Saturday evening broadcasts on WVCG's Florida Caribbean Sports Connection?

[Kymauni]

Re: Biggest Sporting event ever- The Caribbean ready for WORLD CUP Cricket 2007.

Ireland on brink of World Cup qualification

July 05, 2005 12:47 IST


Ireland recovered from a batting blip against United Arab Emirates to move to the verge of qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 with a two-wicket victory at Stormont.

The host nation overcame its toughest ICC Trophy 2005 challenge to date thanks to an unbeaten century from the tournament's leading run scorer, Ed Joyce.

ICC Trophy Ireland 2005: Official site
After losing the toss and being asked to bat, UAE posted its highest total of the event. Captain Khurram Khan and Javed Ismail both contributed half-centuries to a competitive 230 all out.

The Ireland reply began disastrously as an inspirational opening spell from Ali Asad Abbas had the hosts reeling at 23 for 4. The right-arm paceman's bowling accounted for three wickets and he claimed the fourth to fall with a run-out.

It required the composed presence of Joyce to steady the Ireland reply and he found an able ally in Trent Johnston. The pair put on 122 for the fifth wicket before Johnston was bowled for 67.

Three more wickets fell as the match built to a tense climax but Ireland scraped home with one ball to spare, Paul Mooney scrambling the single required to seal the two-wicket victory.