Guyana’s US$25m stadium will come under the microscope this morning when Sri Lanka and South Africa square off in the second match of the International Cricket Council’s Super Eight round of the 2007 World Cup competition.
But the match itself might be forced to take a backseat as concerns over the weather and how the pitch and outfield will fare will probably engage the attention of the local and international media as much as the outcome of the match itself.
It’s been two long years since site preparations work commenced in early 2005 following a US$6m grant and a US$19m concessional line of credit from the Indian government.
And after several pronouncements from the Local Organising Committee officials and several inspections by ICC and CWC officials D-Day is finally here.
Concerns over the readiness of the stadium were raised yesterday when the South African team abandoned their net sessions at the facility and complained that the surface of the practice nets was not up to standard.
“It’s very frustrating not to be able to train properly for two days in a row but we’re not going to let that get us down,” South African coach Mickey Arthur told reporters.
The South Africans were at the stadium site early yesterday morning intent on having net sessions after cricket’s unwelcome guest- the rain- had left briefly possibly for a visit to Antigua where the West Indies took on Australia.
The South Africans were understandably disappointed at not being able to have a proper net session and like the Sri Lankans who were also at the facility, opted for fielding drills instead.
Despite all the hullabaloo surrounding the stadium and its facilities cricket fans were in a last-minute rush to get tickets for today’s matches although three categories of tickets for the West Indies versus Sri Lanka game at the venue have already been sold out.
Chaitram Ramdehol, finance and ticket manager of the LOC told Stabroek Sports yesterday that he expected a bumper if not a sold out crowd today.
Ramdehol said there was a mad rush for tickets at the LOC office on Middle Street yesterday but he was unable to say how much tickets had been sold so far.
“Our culture is last minute
