It’s countdown to the ICC World Twenty20 West Indies 2010. As of Wednesday, there were 100 days left to go before the start as what is hailed as the biggest Twenty20 party in the Caribbean, featuring riveting action in men’s and women’s cricket. It takes place at four venues.

Wednesday at the Beausejour Cricket Ground (BCG) which is slated to host First Round, Super Eight and Semi-final Matches, the media received an update on preparations for the tournament. Work on the stadium which included replacing the roof, refurbishment of the corporate stands, provisions for two additional dressing rooms and equipping the facility with moveable side side screens got underway last November.

The head table consisted of Minister of Youth and Sports, Lenard Montoute; President of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), Dr Julain R Hunte; Tournament Director, Robert Bryan; and Cricket Operations Manager for St Lucia, Vaughn Charles. Promotion and Corporate Services Officer, Sumitra Jagroop-Leo, was the MC.

The ICC WT20 Project team has been working closely with the Ministry of Youth & Sports to bring the BCG to the required standard. In that regard, Bryan expressed his thanks to the minister and especially his Permanent Secretary, Donovan Williams, for assistance provided.

The Tournament Director said he is very comfortable with the work being undertaken not only at the BCG but all the facilities under the ownership and operation of the Ministry of Sports. He is confident that following an inspection by ICC officials on January 29, no major issues will arise.

During a question and answer session which followed the site inspection, Bryan was asked what’s being done to sensitize the public for this major event. In other words “where’s the hype”?

Bryan spoke about a very intense marketing blitz, backed up with a public relations program which would be ready to roll on January 24. Included is what he referred to as celebrity photo shoots. He also mentioned that a school marketing program would get underway.

The tournament coincides with St Lucia Jazz, which puts St Lucia in a rather unique and enviable position when it comes to their marketing campaign.

Ticket sales are hovering around the 40 percent mark, however, there are concerns in St Lucia where we have the “wait and see” or as one speaker said “the last minute culture” when it comes to purchasing tickets. With that in mind, extraordinary measures will take place here to assist with ticket sales.

It was then that WICB President, Julian R Hunte intervened: “It is really important that St Lucia and the other venues in the region sell those stands,” he said. “We need to have an electric Caribbean atmosphere
at the cricket grounds. We are also under pressure as a Caribbean venue, in the sense there are a number of other members of the ICC who would like to have this tournament.”

Hunte pointed out that attendance will play a very important part as to how we go forward because the matches will be televised to the rest of the world.

He went on to say: “I want to urge the St Lucian public and those in other venues, to really come out and give their full support to these matches. They are extremely important not only for now but for the future of West Indies cricket as a venue.”

One thing for sure, we would not want a repeat performance of the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, which was plagued with poor attendance due to restrictions placed on patrons bringing items into stadiums. Things will be different this time around. In fact, the theme for the ICC WT 20 marketing campaign is “Bring It”!

St Lucians can forget about any ticket freebies when it comes to the upcoming ICC WT20 tournament. Minister Montoute made that perfectly clear, after acknowledging that due to the stringent, restrictive nature of regulations associated with the 2007 World Cup, government ensured that they filled the BCG by buying tickets and distributing them for free.

“That was never intended to be one of the legacies of World Cup 2007,” he remarked. “We {Government} have absolutely no intention of distributing free tickets, so if you are holding back you may very well go ahead and purchase your tickets.”

Montoute sees this competition as a national event. As Minister of the Public Service he said public servants who wish to attend the matches will be given the time required.