Hall: WICB to watch Guyana

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) will monitor events in Guyana on a daily basis before making any decision on the first Cable & Wireless Test between West Indies and Australia.

In response to concerns by the Australia Cricket Board (ACB) over the increased crime and violence in the South American country in recent weeks, WICB president Wes Hall said the board would be considering input from its two Guyana directors ahead of the April 10 to 14 Test at Bourda.

"We just don't want to count our chickens before they hatch. The WICB will look at it realistically," Hall said. "We have board members in Guyana who will apprise us of the situation. When that happens, we will deal with it.

"We don't know what is going to happen from day to day. We have able administrators in Guyana and they will let us know what the position is."

In a letter faxed to the WICB on January 13, ACB international cricket manager Richard Watson said his board was seeking guidance on the "reported deterioration in the security situation in and around Georgetown, which is of high concern to the ACB".

The letter has been passed to Guyana's Minister of Home Affairs, Ronald Gajraj.

When asked if the WICB would be prepared to switch the venue of the match if the ACB's concerns remained, Hall said: "It's not a matter of being prepared to switch matches.

"What we will do is try and have a helicopter view of the situation. We will look and see what is happening. We will not be party to exposing anybody to violence."

Hall, who is also chairman of the International Cricket Council's steering group for safety, said the issue of violence and security was of paramount importance to the game's governing body.

"I am very cognisant of the fact that violence is not necessarily gunplay and the things they are talking about," he said. "It is also inside the cricket ground. We have been looking at many areas where we can minimise any disturbances.

"Violence and security are buzzwords in world cricket. I am not minimising the whole aspect of violence, but as we look around in that corridor in Pakistan, India, Zimbabwe and Kenya, we've had some violence. It is very important that you look at security."