The Providence Stadium has been given the thumbs up to host the Cricket World Cup 2007 Super Eight matches by the International Cricket Council/Cricket World Cup (CWC) Inspection team, but there are still some minor works to be completed to make the Providence facility 100 percent ready for the gala event.
Addressing members of the media yesterday after an inspection of the facility, CWC Venue Development Director Don Lockerbie said:” Today marks a very positive day for Guyana. We had some issues back in November (2006) that are for the most part resolved.
“We still have some small things to continue to improve, and on a plus side, the stadium is so ready for Cricket World Cup.”
Lockerbie congratulated the LOC and the team of Walter Willis and the contractors for being so diligent in getting the venue so prepared.
“We’ve also warned the LOC (Local Organising Committee) and the government that this is no time to be easing up with the pace.”
The venue Development Director reminded that he was not a cricketer, but a track and field person who did not ease up when approaching the finish line but after.
“What we (ICC) want to see is all hands on deck. National pride sprint to the finish to get the stadium and everything else that Guyana is planning for the CWC to be finished ahead of the matches. Not just wait until March 27 to say we did it, let’s get it done by February 27.
Lockerbie noted that the welcome he and the team received at the airport was fantastic.
“We are wearing our Caricom Single Domestic Space bracelet which shows that we are allowed to leave Barbados and enter Guyana as a single domestic space. It was a total success. In fact the best experience we’ve had running around the Carib-bean.
We were able to walk right into the country as our ED card stamped and moved right on and it was very positive to see that Guyana is so organized at your airport and customs, because that is going to be so important as people come to the region and travel about.”
Lockerbie said he met with President Bharat Jagdeo and toured the Buddy’s Hotel yesterday before inspecting the stadium.