Dehring

KINGSTON (CMC):

WITH JUST two weeks before the start of the Cricket World Cup, the tournament's chief executive, Chris Dehring, says his organisation was focused on ensuring the delivery of 'clean venues' for the event.Dehring, also CWC 2007's managing director, said organisers had a commitment to ensure venues were free of third-party advertising and noted the contractual obligations to the International Cricket Council (ICC) took effect on Monday.

"The detailed work on this requirement should have been completed by today. CWC has an AIP (Anti-Infringement Programme) team touring the host venues and there should now be no third-party brands at any of the stadia," Dehring warned.

"The contractual chain between the event, the ICC and the commercial partners officially takes full effect as of today. A third-party brand in any of our venues as of today would put us in breach of the agreements."

Eight Caribbean countries will play host to competitive matches in the mega event which is scheduled to run from March 13 to April 28.

First-round matches are being contested in St. Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia and Jamaica, while Super Eight, second-round matches will be played at venues in Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Guyana and Barbados.

Jamaica and St. Lucia will host the semi-finals with Barbados staging the grand final.

'Clean venues' refer to ensuring that venues hosting matches are free of all advertising other than that of the approved commercial partners.

The Anti-Infringement Programme was drafted by CWC 2007 Inc.'s legal team and passed by Caribbean Parliaments, to ensure that renegade advertisers were shut out of the tournament.

Full tournament mode

Dehring also said that as of Monday, the respective LOCs had moved into full tournament mode as it stood poised for the start of the event.

"February 19, 2007 marks the beginning of the official tournament period, and all tournament terms and conditions are in full effect," Dehring said.

Dehring also noted that the momentum in preparations had intensified, with Bermuda landing in Antigua on Monday.

They will be followed by Bangladesh and Canada who will join Bermuda for a series of warm-up matches.

"Like the Caribbean, which is hosting the cricketing world for the first time ever, Bermuda will be playing in their first ICC Cricket World Cup," Dehring said.

"Like the Caribbean, they are stepping onto the global stage, ready and eager to enjoy what I'msure will be a priceless experience.

"On behalf of the CWC family, I would like to welcome them to the region as the first of the 16 participating nations to arrive.

"For a long time we've been saying that ICC Cricket World Cup is coming, counting down the years, the months, the days and now the hours. Well, it is not coming anymore. It is here."