CATEGORY:COMMENTARY ------------------------- INSIDE GRENADA Wednesday April 25,2007 by Lloyd Noel (Attorney-at-law) For the past Sixteen months, and before to a lesser extent, the entire Caribbean had one major topic in its headline news in anticipation of CWC2007. And I vividly recall the 10th of April, 2006, when Mr. Derek Jones, the Legal Counsel for CWC Inc., came to Grenada from Jamaica/Guyana to brief the LOC and the general public about what we should expect. At the Flambouyant Hotel Conference Room in Grand Anse, most of us present heard about the Sunset Legislation, Ambush Marketing, the very strict and necessary Security arrangements that had to be implemented for the World Cup, and the high price the Three Major Sponsors for T/V rights had paid the ICC for total Worldwide coverage. The date of that public meeting was significant, because it was exactly one year before the first game was due to be played at our own National Stadium, (10-04-07) - in the second phase of the Super Eight Matches awarded to Grenada. I must confess, that for the majority of those present at that meeting, and for Grenadians generally for many months thereafter - the dream of ICC CWC 2007 Matches, being played at the devastated hurricane-wrecked-Stadium we were then looking at, since the passage of Ivan in September 2004 - was nothing more than a distant dream. We know now, that as distant as they maybe, dreams do in fact and in reality come true in real life. However, the Caribbean as a whole went through the phase of building new or reconstructing existing Stadia, while the powers-that-be who were responsible for putting the various pieces in place - went about their various duties behind the scenes. That phase was duly completed, and the next phase was historically put on show to the viewing T/V Billions around the World, on the 11th March, 2007, at the new Trelawny Stadium in Jamaica- with a memorable Opening Ceremony that was second to none previously. In fact, as the brilliance of the performers unfolded on the grounds of that Stadium, and the organisational skills and expertise of all those involved in making the occasion a glowing reality - colourfully flooded T/V screens Worldwide, it was easy to give full credit to the oft-repeated boasts that CWC 2007 was going to be the best World Cup ever staged. And so it came to pass, that the Caribbean opened the staging of its first World Cup on the 13th March, 2007, with that game between the West Indies and Pakistan. If only we could turn back the clock to that first game, and change or reverse history to have Pakistan winning that game - the entire CWC2007 would have taken a completely different outlook, assuming all else remained equal. Pakistan’s knock out in that first round by Ireland, which was followed by the brutal and untimely death of their coach, Mr. Bob Woolmer, the next day - those two incidents put or brought a quite bewildering aspect to the entire happenings thereafter. The equally un-expected knock out of India, also by the so-called under-dog team of Bangladesh - did not help the economic aspect of the Tourist expectations for the World Cup, but it could not rival the Woolmer murder. The winners and the losers, and the scores and wickets taken by whoever - up to the end of the Super Eight phase - are all now history pending the Semi-finals and Final on the 28th April in Barbados. The pundits, and the theory experts on all topics, and the various bodies who had to deal with, or implement this that or the other aspect in the build-up to the games - will all be sharpening their pencils and preparing their evaluations and explanations of all that happened, of the reasons why they so happened, and the way ahead. And needless for me to say, those with the real duties and responsibilities for the major decisions that took us to the mountain top and back down again - they too will be supplying their excuses, and apologies in some cases, as well as to the bitter end still trying to rationalize the decisions they took - even in the face of compelling reasons and evidence to the contrary.But as with everything else, in due course of time - the crows will all come home to roost. Besides the Cricket Shocks involving Pakistan, India, and the West Indies to a lesser or greater extent - depending on which side you are coming from or looking at - the Bob Woolmer Murder in Jamaica has been the major blot on CWC2007. The Inquest, due to begin on the 23rd April by the Coroner in Kingston, may very well provide some pointed answers to that tragedy. But whether it does or not, the effects of that tragedy will certainly live on to tarnish the name of Cricket for a long time to come. As for the Cricket Matches themselves, and the teams and their respective administrators in the Countries mostly affected, the effects and attempted solutions are already well under-way. In our own case here in the Caribbean, the third-time appointed Captain Brian Lara has once again given up the job, and announced his retirement from the game in general. At first it was retirement from the one-day version, and soon thereafter his total retirement. There cannot be any dissent from the truism, that Lara as a batsman was a Cricketing genius - and like Sir Garfield Sobers before him, I very much doubt we will see another such phenomenon again. As for his credentials as a Captain, and selector of the team for individual games - I have some serious reservations. But then again, who am I to say otherwise? The results speak for themselves. His last game in Barbados against England on Saturday 21st April, was a fitting tribute for his contributions to the game. The largest crowd for the World Cup thus far were all in praise and glory for the batting genius; and although West Indies did not win the game, it could not have been a more memorable send off in his honour. West Indies Cricket is at an un-certain Cross-roads Junction, and which way or road the powers-that-be decide to take - towards bringing the game, and team, and good name, back to as near to where they all were once upon a time - only more time will tell. It must be very obvious, however, that Brian alone as Captain cannot be the only scapegoat. Within the Management structure, the Coaching department, and the team itself - as well as those who choose it - there are serious changes that must be made, if we are ever again going to see the glory-days on a Cricket field in these self-centred Islands. All the Match venues now have first class facilities, and from all indications the Local Organising Committees did put on first class performances - especially in our case here in Grenada, where the praises from Local fans and Visitors were endless. The Governments expenditure went overboard, on the premise that the investments were sound for the future Tourist Industry. A whole lot of us did not agree with them for one reason or another, and from the numbers that did come for the games in all the Islands - it is very clear that we were quite right. The fall-back position being put forward now-a-days, is that the T/V exposure will make up for the stay at home expected visitors. Maybe when the individual teams have a Test Match or One day game in the Smaller Islands, some more fans than usual will come to support them - but not otherwise to justify the huge expenditures, in my opinion. But now that the hustle and bustle and the ole talk are all nearly over - the political administrators have to go back to square one, to try and pick up the pieces that were put on hold since the beginning of 2007 to accommodate CWC. And from the noises that are coming out of the respective territories, am getting the feeling that the times ahead are not going to be smooth sailing for most of them. In our Grenada setting, the Amendment of the “National Parks and Protected Areas Act of 1990/91" - to give the Government authority to dispose of lands designated under the National Parks System, commonly called “Crown Lands” - that attempt to cover up action already taken, to sell lands in the South of the Island for some Hotel development, will have disturbing repercussions. By putting the cart before the horse, the powers-that-be opened up themselves for licks - to the extent that the alleged quip by a Minister, that providing jobs for the masses are far more important than preserving a few Grenada Doves, will not help the Government’s cause. And goodness knows that the Mountain “National debt crisis” is at its most critical stage, because the open admission of its in-ability to service the huge debt has now hit the Global Market place headlines of the “Standard and Poors” publication. When the economic strangulation reaches down to the local Banks daily trading - since the Government is the biggest Customer in that setting, then panic buttons must be pushed without more. The movement of daily trading funds is drying up, because the un-employment crisis is escalating; and now that the few sites where construction work for the “Economic Salvation CWC2007" will be no more, the financial picture looks very dark and gloomy indeed. The offers by the WICB President, Mr. Ken Gordon - who himself has reportedly resigned from the position on Monday morning - to those Governments with new and refurbished Stadia, as to how they can utilise those facilities to help meet recurring expenses, are all useful on paper but will take time to put together and implement. If nothing else can be said about CWC2007 in the Caribbean, the one thing that cannot be denied, is that even before the final ball is bowled on the 28th April in Barbados - there has never been so much drama (Woolmer’s killing), and upheavals and resignations as in India, Pakistan, and West Indies, in or after any previous CWC. The times ahead, both for Politics in the Caribbean and Cricket here at home and abroad - will be very interesting and revealing, as the crows come home to roost.