USA excluded from World Cup venues
by Julian Guyer
Tuesday, July 6, 2004
LONDON, England (AFP): Florida's bid to host
matches at the 2007 Cricket World Cup was rejected by administrators here
Monday. West Indies had already been awarded
host status for the showpiece event but there had been speculation that
cricket chiefs, looking to broaden the appeal of the game, would take the
opportunity to stage some matches in the neighbouring United States.
International Cricket Council president Ehsan Mani told reporters at a London
hotel opposite the global governing body's headquarters at Lord's: "A whole
process was followed and from a development point of view, the US had
attractions but the decision was based on strict criteria."
Mani said that immigration factors and the problems of getting replacement
players into the United States at short notice had counted against Florida.
West Indies will be hosting the ninth edition of cricket's showpiece one-day
tournament for the first time. They were the
first World Cup winners back in 1975 in England and four years later
successfully defended their title, again in England.
Australia are the only other nation, in 1999 and 2003, to have won
back-to-back titles. "They deserve this
event," said Mani. "They have earned the right to host this tournament."
The eight venues which will stage the 51-match tournament are Antigua,
Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and
Trinidad. In two cases, new venues will be
built with Antigua and Guyana set to play host to purpose-built 20,000
capacity stadiums. In Barbados, the
Kensington Oval will have a major upgrade and in Grenada, Queens Park will be
increased in capacity from 13,000 to 20,000.
Jamaica's Sabina Park will be upgraded to 30,000 while Warner Park in St.
Kitts will be renovated from its 4,000 present capacity to 13,000.
In St. Lucia, the Beausejour stadium will be increased from 12,000 to 20,000
while Queens Park Oval in Trinidad will be boosted to 25,000.
Unlike the last World Cup in South Africa, the 2007 event will feature a Super
Eight stage as opposed to a Super Six second phase.
However, the tournament will be contested by 16 teams as opposed to the 14 in
South Africa with two more associate or junior nations taking part, and there
will be three fewer games, 51 matches compared to 54 last year.
Mani, who said the tournament was due to take place some time between the
middle to the end of February to the end of April, said: "This will give the
better teams as big as possible a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals."
Where teams will be playing their matches will be decided at a meeting of the
West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) on July 12 in Montego Bay, Jamaica with an
announcement a day later. However, the four
sides expected to attract the biggest support -- West Indies, reigning
champions Australia, India and England -- will each be based at one specific
venue. Mani added that the WICB would get 46
percent of the tournament's gross revenues. West Indies will benefit by
approximately 100 million dollars. 2007
World Cup venues the winners
Antigua and Barbuda (New venue); Barbados
(Kensington Oval); Grenada (Queen's Park); Guyana (New venue); Jamaica (Sabina
Park); St Kitts-Nevis (Warner Park); St Lucia (Beausejour Stadium); Trinidad
and Tobago (Queen's Park Oval). The Losers
Bermuda; Jamaica (New venue); St Vincent and
Grenadines; United States.
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