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Press release
Friday April 28, 2006

The region and international community should take note of the confidence of Barbadian Prime Minister Owen Arthur in the Caribbean’s ability to competently and successfully deliver next year’s ICC Cricket World Cup.

Stating he is heartened by this Head of Government’s overwhelming support for the Event being hosted in the region for the first time, ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 Inc. Managing Director & CEO Chris Dehring reiterated his view that the tournament – which in an unprecedented move will be held across nine countries – has the potential “to put the region’s stamp on the world like no achievement has ever done before”.

“A lot of expert planning and preparation is being invested in all areas of this Cricket World Cup and I am proud of how many aspects of it are being executed so far. There are challenges, as with every world sporting event, but these should not be made out to be insurmountable odds,” he reasoned, reacting to Arthur’s speech at the launch of The Cricket Legends of Barbados last Friday in Bridgetown.

Addressing those gathered for the Legends event, including a number of former Barbados cricketers who have represented the West Indies, Arthur said Caribbean governments must not second-guess themselves or determine their commitment to hosting Cricket World Cup “on the basis of how much the World Cup expenditure amounts to relative to its gate receipts”.

Reiterating his Government’s commitment to moving “heaven and earth to ensure that our sponsorship and hosting of a (Cricket) World Cup is an absolute credit to what this small country can achieve”, the Barbadian leader stressed that bringing Cricket World Cup to the Caribbean must be seen as “an expression of our confidence to perform on the global stage and to do this well”.

“Mr. Arthur has put the Cricket World Cup into perspective regarding the future and status of this region. His statement that ‘it is an expression of confidence in who we are and what we can do as a people that the Caribbean Governments – no matter how financially strapped may be our circumstances – should pursue the belief that this region should host something as important as a Cricket World Cup’ should be inspiration to us all,” stated Dehring.

“I have said before and I will say again that we, the people of the Caribbean, must be first to defend this Event being hosted on our home soil. We cannot afford to be distracted by the naysayers, even those among us, especially at this crucial juncture.

“It is significant that one of our regional Prime Ministers has candidly acknowledged that ‘every major undertaking in the Caribbean is attended by the expression of cynicism and belief that we cannot do it’. This is a view that we can dispel forever by hosting the Cricket World Cup to unparalleled standards.”

Dehring’s comments coincide with today’s one-year countdown to the ICC Cricket World Cup’s final at Kensington Oval in Barbados. It will be the culmination of eight weeks of world-class cricket, starting with the first of 16 Warm-up fixtures on March 5, 2007, and highlighted by 51 tournament matches in 47 days.

As the region continues its progress towards Cricket World Cup, the ICC CWC WI 2007 Inc. Managing Director said every citizen of the Caribbean must ponder one collective question – What do we want people to say about us when this journey is finished?

“One year from today this will all come to a crescendo and we have to keep in mind what kind of crescendo – what legacy, if you will – we want to have and what we want the world to think and to remember about the experience,” he declared, agreeing with Arthur that “it’s part of our birthright” to host the most prestigious tournament in a sport to which the Caribbean has contributed immeasurably.

The coming months, Dehring pointed out, will be extremely important with the launch of Public Ticketing on Monday (May 1), various ICC inspections of Host Venues and meetings with CWC 2007 officials upcoming and venue development moving towards the October 2006 completion deadline.

“There are challenging but exciting times ahead and, as we go about our respective tasks in preparation for Cricket World Cup 2007, we will all require even more resolve and commitment to fulfill our goal of hosting an amazing Cricket World Cup.

“Not a lot of time is left. We will mark 300 days to the Opening Ceremony in just over two weeks. This is the home stretch and we must be at our most productive and determined now,” said Dehring.

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NOTE: The Cricket Legends of Barbados is a company formed and owned by all living Barbadians to have represented the West Indies but who are now retired from the game. It will seek to recapture the glory days of the game and produce memorabilia for the global market.

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Press release
Friday April 28, 2006

Come next Tuesday, cricket fans across the Caribbean will be able to finally get their hands on the Ticket Application Form for ICC Cricket World Cup 2007.

The four-page document will be available at all ICC CWC 2007 Official Ticket Centres throughout the nine Host Venues from their May 2 opening day until July 31 when Public Ticketing – Phase 1: Application concludes.

Encased in a special Ticket Brochure, the form features a ten-step guide on the front page. There is also an order summary and sections regarding the delivery of tickets, payment information and customer information (including name and address).

On the second page, fans will fill out their requests for Single Match tickets to Warm-up fixtures, the Opening Ceremony and Group Stage games. Page three will be filled out by those who want Single Match tickets for the Super 8 series, the Semi-Finals and Final.

‘Follow a Path’ and ‘Venue Combination’ packages can be applied for on the fourth and final page which also carries a reminder that applications can be completed online at www.cricketworldcup.com. The tournament website will be accepting applications worldwide from Monday May 1, 2006.

The colourful brochure, which will accompany the Ticket Application Form, includes welcome messages from ICC and Cricket World Cup officials, brief information on the 16 teams, profiles of the Host Venues and stadiums and a match schedule. There are also Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), the Terms and Conditions for applying and the Match Refund Policy.

Noting that there have been endless enquiries about tickets for next year’s showpiece in the Caribbean, ICC CWC 2007 Commercial Manager Stephen Price disclosed that everything is being done to ensure “as smooth and as hassle-free an application process as possible for the thousands who will either apply online or at the Ticket Centres”.

“There has been a lot of information for the public to absorb on Ticketing but I think they will find the application procedure quite straightforward once they follow the instructions.

“It’s the same kind of process you would have to undergo to get tickets for the Olympics or for the FIFA World Cup as those who have attended such mega-sports events are aware,” he said, adding that everyone has a chance of being allocated match tickets.

Prices for Single Match tickets range from US$10 for Warm-up games to a maximum of US$300 for the best seats at the tournament’s April 28, 2007, final. There can be no more than two applications per household and each application can request a maximum of four tickets per match.

The ICC CWC 2007 Commercial Manager reminded the public that “the best way to ensure entry into venues and to pay a fair and equitable price for tickets” under the Public Ticketing programme is to apply for tickets through official channels – ICC CWC 2007 Official Ticket Centres and online at www.cricketworldcup.com.

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