Providence is not so divine
The problems of Guyana’s Providence Stadium have been well documented
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
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The problems of Guyana’s Providence Stadium have been well documented. In The Times, Christopher Martin-Jenkins revealed that while all looks polished on the surface, underneath things are far from finished.
The West Indian reputation for getting things right only at the last minute has been taken to extremes here. At first glance the Providence Stadium, built in partnership with the India Government in a suburb on the East bank of the Demerara River half an hour’s drive from the capital, Georgetown, is a splendid facility.
So is the handsome looking “Buddy’s International” hotel that has sprung up next to it. Those staying there, however, do not, as intended, include the teams, rather guests who speak of damp cement on the walls and pneumatic drills working through the night. Across the road, the press box has poor visibility and all the signs of a desperate race to be ready on time.
In The Daily Telegraph, Simon Briggs discovered that the media might have a few problems in covering the game itself.
It takes more than a nicely tended outfield to make a decent cricket ground, however, and problems are expected with the incidentals: things like power sockets, phone lines and broadcasting facilities. The BBC team turned up to find nothing in their booth but a table and chair. Unless equipment can be shipped in from St Vincent, their commentary could end up being broadcast over crackly mobile phone lines.
And in The Age, David Hopps confirmed that all was not well.
Outside the stadium yesterday, the car park consisted of pools of water standing in tons of sand. A merchandising tent stood forlornly next to a concrete mixer and a pile of pallets. Diggers lay idle; you could spot World Cup employees by their official uniforms and harassed expressions.
Martin Williamson is executive editor of ESPNcricinfo and managing editor of ESPN Digital Media in Europe, the Middle East and Africa