World Cup worries for Keith Mitchell

Keith Mitchell, the Prime Minister of Grenada, was concerned about the latest twist in the sponsorship saga, with Brian Lara and six others being excluded from the West Indian squad for the first Test against South Africa, and hopes that the World Cup preparations are not compromised in any way.

Mitchell, who is also the chairman of the Caricom Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on cricket, had attempted to resolve the issue but didn't get too far with his attempts. "I hope and pray that common sense prevails," Mitchell told Caribbean Media Corporation, "because I think we [Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee] have offered serious advice to the West Indies Cricket Board and to all concerned. We do hope that that advice has been certainly taken because I would not want to think of the consequences of an alternative action being taken."

These comments came in the wake of the West Indian board deciding to leave out Lara and six other players, sponsored by Cable & Wireless, for the first Test against South Africa at Guyana because of their personal endorsement contracts. The Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee had earlier ensured that the copies of these contracts had been forwarded to the cricket board for their inspection, and immediately called for the board to make the players eligible for selection.

Lara was then cleared for selection but the board said that Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Smith, Dwayne Bravo, Ravi Rampaul and Fidel Edwards would remain ineligible. Mitchell felt that if the appropriate decisions were not taken, the West Indies would be sending a wrong message about their ability to host a successful World Cup.

"I am concerned by the message we send to the international community about the prospects for a successful World Cup," he said. "And, by implication, the prospects for further economic development. In the case of Grenada, where we have been battered by Ivan [the hurricane], we need all the message of hope with the World Cup coming up, to send the right message that we are ready to host a World Cup and be very successful at it."