Dehring: ‘No ICC CWC 2007 official spoke to The Gleaner'

ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 Inc. Managing Director & CEO Chris Dehring has urged the regional media to pay careful attention to the different organisations and contractual relationships involved in the hosting of ICC Cricket World Cup 2007.

Citing an article in the Jamaica Gleaner on Tuesday February 21, 2006, he reminded those covering stories relating to next year's Event, being held in the Caribbean, that several companies are stakeholders and have various roles to play and that journalists must be absolutely sure whom they are quoting.

In the story entitled "Air Jamaica turns down Cricket World Cup deal", the reporter purported to have talked to an individual who is described as "a spokesperson from the ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 Inc." and later in the article as "an ICC official".

Neither, Dehring pointed out, is in fact accurate as the person to whom the reporter was directed regarding his queries was the Event, Sponsor Services and Sales Manager for Nimbus Sport International - the company which represents the sponsors.

"Nobody from ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 Inc. - or the ICC for that matter - ever made those comments to the Gleaner. It is especially important in this instance because the matter involves sponsorship which is exclusively the right of the Global Cricket Corporation (GCC) and in which, as tournament organisers, we have no involvement.

"It is entirely wrong for the Gleaner article to claim that ICC CWC WI 2007 Inc. is the exclusive sales and marketing representative for sponsorship in the Caribbean as that is Nimbus' role.

"This is not the first time that we have seen this kind of error. My concern is that if the media do not take the time to understand that there are a number of distinct organisations working together on ICC CWC 2007, they will not be able to properly explain issues to the public - as has occurred in this instance.

The media, he continued, must make an effort to understand the connections and relationships between the International Cricket Council (ICC), ICC CWC WI 2007 Inc. and other organisations such as GCC and Nimbus and therefore be in a position to produce balanced and accurate news items.

"This is a huge undertaking and we are determined to uphold world-class standards in everything we do and, of course, we would like to see that reflected in the media coverage as well," said the Managing Director.