In any family there are going to be disputes and points of contention. However, no matter the intensity of the familial rows, when outsiders come to visit, there is a tendency to close ranks for the sake of the family’s image.
This is no different for Barbados as we prepare to host the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup, and more particularly the final game.
The eyes of the world are on us and Barbados, as the host nation for many of the likely most popular games, including those with the English team, we want to put on a memorable showing.
Preparation for the global sporting event began with controversy that led to a major public spat between the president of Cricket West Indies Cricket (CWI) Dr Kishore Shallow and the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) President and CWI board member Mr Conde Riley.
Mr Riley broke the news to Barbadians in mid-2023 that the island would be host for the T20 World Cup final, even before the ICC or CWI had confirmed that Kensington Oval would host the prestigious event.
That public spat resulted in Mr Riley receiving a letter of reprimand from the CWI President for releasing what he described then as an “inaccurate statement” on the Mason & Guest cricket radio show that Barbados would host the final. Of course, we know now that Mr Riley was perfectly correct; the issue was the timing and the chain of command within WIC.
With confirmation of the ICC award, Barbados had mere months to get its house in order, and that included the refurbishment of the iconic Kensington Oval.
Barbadians learned that the island had signed off on a deal to borrow $50 million from the Nigeria-headquartered African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).
Citizens were informed that $25 million from those funds would go to prepare Kensington Oval for the world-class show, while answers are still quite murky on where the other $25 million will be assigned.
So far, extensive marketing of the games has bolstered interest by cricket fans, many of whom had expressed some disappointment in the level of performance from the home team.
When it comes to other infrastructure-based benefits from the tournament, motorists across the country will concede that the $30 million Mill and Pave project has greatly improved the state of many roads.
From Oistins and Thornbury Hill in Christ Church to Content in St George, the once hazardously bumpy and pothole-filled stretches are now smooth and comfortable to drive on.
The administration has insisted the road improvements were all in the pipeline but were fast-tracked as part of the improvements when thousands of cricket fans start arriving in the next two weeks.
Chair of the National Organising Committee (NOC), Ambassador Noel Lynch has drawn on his many years in sports administration to pull together all the various aspects that go into hosting an international sport event.
Mr Lynch and other members of the NOC must be commended for the swift and expertly crafted event planning and coordination.
The involvement of our cricket legends, including National Hero Sir Garfield Sobers ensures that the island maximises its world-famous cricket products.
In its latest effort, the NOC has announced what is being called National Flag Day, during which residents are being asked to wear the national colours on June 28 – the day before the T20 final at Kensington.
“In 2007, and 2010 to a lesser extent, I think Barbadians were left feeling that they didn’t get a lot out of the World Cup. It is our intention to correct that. We do not want to go through this event and at the end . . . Barbadians feel that they didn’t get maximum or optimum benefit from it,” Mr Lynch stated.
“For that reason, we’ve embarked on a number of campaigns that we think, parallel (to) hosting the Cricket World Cup, [will] also create a basis for legacy that is critically important to our continued social economic development in Barbados.”
With the tournament just days away from the start of the first game, Barbadians are expected to show the level of hospitality and warmth for which the island is known.
For the period of the tournament, Barbadians are expected to put aside any differences they may have as they exhibit their pride and industry for the world to experience.
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