WICB President Rousseau happy to host World Cup (18 Jun 1998)

18 June 1998

Rousseau happy to host World Cup

The Jamaica Gleaner

West Indies Cricket Board president Pat Rousseau is happy that the West Indies will be staging the ninth World Cup.

According to the president who returned home from the annual International Cricket Conference meeting in London on Tuesday, hosting the World Cup will bring tremendous benefits to the sport in the region, to tourism, and to the Caribbean economy in general.

"We are extremely pleased about winning the bid to host the World Cup," Rousseau was quoted as saying in a release yesterday from the WICB. "We are particularly satisfied with the way we presented our case and that the delegates had such confidence in the WICB to give a unanimous vote in our favour."

Under the slogan, "A great place for the World Cup", the West Indies presentation to the ICC was done by Rousseau, vice-president Julian Hunte, chief executive officer Stephen Camacho and chief marketing executive Chris Dehring.

After a week of lobbying and discussions, the bid ended with a presentation to the delegates during which five reasons were given as to why the West Indies should be awarded the event.

According to the Board's release, the presentation showed that the region would be ready to host the World Cup as early as 2005 because of the support of CARICOM governments and the private sector, management structures which would be in place, and the development plans which are already being implemented to upgrade facilities around the region to the required standards.

It also stressed that the West Indies were particularly deserving of hosting the tournament in view of their major contribution to world cricket over the last 70 years, and pointed out that hosting the World Cup would strengthen the sport in the region - something which in turn would benefit world cricket.

"A great place to hold the World Cup" was illustrated by a five-minute video which highlighted the region's attractiveness as a cricket/tourism destination. The narration was done by top Caribbean cricket commentator Tony Cozier.

The World Cup is scheduled for 2007, but according to Rousseau, it may be played in 2005. "That is still to be decided," said the WICB president.

Source :: The Jamaica Gleaner (https://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/)