Canada ready for Americas Cup

Andrew Eade, newly appointed ICC Development Manager, replacement for Ross Turner, is in Toronto Canada for the opening of the inaugural Americas Cricket Championships. After a harrowing 22 hour flight, Andrew and Chris Tetley, ICC Project Officer for the Championships, spent another long day visiting various ICC Trophy 2001 venues. On Sunday, Andrew and Chris will again be involved in a series of meetings including some with Jackie Hendricks, ICC Tournament Referee who will instruct and supervise local referees for the Americas Cup Event. Jackie Hendricks after flying in from Kingston jamaica last evening also faces a long day of conferencing.

An Official Welcome Reception for the visiting teams and dignitaries will be held this evening.

On Thursday, it is planned to have a follow-up Americas' Cricket Forum with representatives from Canada, USA, Bermuda Argentina Cayman Islands and of course the West Indies Cricket Board representative as the ICC Full Member, under whose umbrella Associate and Affiliate Membership for all of the Americas falls. It is understood that Clarvis Joseph, WICB Vice-President will again attend.

In the WICB U-19 comeptition in Guyana, the first two days of the competition have been heavily marred by rains. This is the second consecutive year that Canadian team preparation has been sabotaged by rains. Last year, in the Leeward Islands, the Red Stripe competition was hammered by hurricane fed rains. Canadians must seriously wonder whether this sort of event is meaningful and whether monies are best spent if rains are interrupting vital ICC Trophy 2001 preparation?