ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Cricket West Indies is confident the region will lean on its “huge experience” and deliver a successful event when it plays host to next year’s men’s ICC Twenty20 World Cup.
Speaking in the wake of the International Cricket Council’s announcement of the venues for the June 4-30 showpiece, CWI chief executive Johnny Grave said there were existing partnerships with stakeholders which would be leveraged in order to ensure a smooth rollout of the tournament.
“The West Indies have got huge experience in hosting ICC events,” Grave said.
“We’re currently hosting the Caribbean Premier League which has been another successful tournament in the West Indies.
“We have very experienced operators throughout the region who we work with and partner with, and all the stakeholders will be ready to welcome the world and stage this iconic ICCC event.
“We’re all tremendously excited by the opportunity and the platform that it gives our region to promote itself to the world for tourism, for economic development, as well as hopefully to give our men’s team a huge home advantage in going for a record third title.”
Seven countries – Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Dominica, St Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines – will serve as host venues. Key to the successful bids by these countries was the involvement of the respective host governments, and Grave said this level of collaboration would lead to enhanced cricket development in these territories.
“We are enormously grateful for the continued support we get from the governments of the West Indies,” he stressed.
“All of them that put forward bids have been successful in securing matches, which is great news, and we’re really looking forward to some of the improvements that those governments have put forward in their proposals to us and the ICC, in terms of ensuring they are ready for what is the pinnacle of the men’s game currently, in terms of international top cricket.
“It is a huge opportunity for the region to use the platform of hundreds of millions of fans watching the West Indies, watching our beautiful countries and our iconic venues, and we want everyone in the world to come to the Caribbean and experience what we have to offer.”
The tournament will be the third men’s ICC event being played in the region. In 2007, the Caribbean staged the men’s 2007 World Cup before also putting on the men’s T20 World Cup three years later.
In 2018, the region also welcomed the women’s T20 World Cup and last year played host to the men’s ICC Under-19 World Cup.
Grave, who joined CWI in 2017, pointed out that ICC tournaments staged in the Caribbean went beyond simply cricket, but also provided the ideal platform for the global showcasing of the region’s culture.
“We have seen that unique carnival atmosphere when we hosted the 2018 women’s World T20, where there were big crowds in St Lucia and Antigua when the West Indies played,” he said.
“And I’m sure when West Indies play next June there’ll be big crowds at all the venues at which they play.
“We want every host country to show what a welcoming and exciting place this is to watch and play cricket, and it’s really important that all the fans come out in their masses.
“The school children will be invited as part of our community engagement programme so we can show what that carnival cricket atmosphere is to the world.”
West Indies will host the tournament in conjunction with the United States, with Dallas, Fort Lauderdale and New York set to host matches on the North American leg.