Rolling back the years
Kingston The opening game of the World Cup was as much about the past as the gleaming present of the revamped Sabina Park.
There has been plenty of discussion about the slow pace of work at the venue.
And with all due respect, given the time they had, there is no excuse for some of the things I saw.
There were clear signs of last-minute panic in the workmanship, particularly with the paintwork.
Confusion among stewards and catering staff and ticketing blunders were also among the “mishaps” Windies skipper Brian Lara had warned us to expect.
More scandalous was the fact that the first act of cricket’s biggest show was not a sell-out. It was a damning indictment on ticket prices, not the enthusiasm among locals for the game despite the West Indies’ indifferent form. The Caribbean public’s yearning for a restoration of former glories was merely heightened by the sight of the surviving 1975 and 1979 World Cup winners being presented before the start of play.
Names like Richards, Lloyd, Garner and Roberts can either inspire or intimidate and the weight of expectation and tradition appeared to subdue the class of 2007.
It also becalmed a traditionally boisterous and knowledgeable crowd which was kept under the boil and reduced to booing Pakistan appeals for catches and lbw.
They like to live life in the slow lane here but Jamaicans do not prefer their cricketers to hang around.
“Come on Samuels step it up,” urged the faithful in the Members Stand. “We can do this in style.”
Local boy Marlon responded to confirm Lara’s belief that he can be a match-winner and Richards would have been proud of the mighty sixes he and Dwayne Smith hit.
The foundations of the famous old venue were tested by a jumping crowd.
Even those supposed to show more restraint cast off their shackles, with local broadcasters and stewards leaping around deliriously.
As I said, Jamaicans are pretty savvy about their cricket and halfway through the innings they were telling me 240 would be the target and batting second time round not easy on this new surface.
The bowlers then took over the mantle of rolling back the years and, for those of us old enough to remember it, it felt like Michael Holding and Garner were striding in to a cacophony of conch shells, horns and drums.
In the West Stand they chanted “pressure, pressure, pressure” and it told as Pakistan suffered meltdown in the overpowering heat of Kingston town.
No-one ought to kid themselves that this is a great West Indies team or even one that merits a mention in the same breath as their predecessors.
And Pakistan did their best to play accommodating visitors with some sloppy fielding and even more inept batting.
But after some of the horror shows put on by the new generation of West Indian cricketers in recent years, this was a welcome re-run of an old success story.
"More scandalous was the fact that the first act of cricket’s biggest show was not a sell-out. It was a damning indictment on ticket prices, not the enthusiasm among locals for the game despite the West Indies’ indifferent form."
The prices are outrageous. The average person cannot afford those prices. Not even persons who earn a decent incomes can afford these tickets prices. The only person who stand to benefit is the ICC. There is no trickle effect.
We have just been stiffed with the cost of paying for the loans that govts took to finance that event.
"No-one ought to kid themselves that this is a great West Indies team or even one that merits a mention in the same breath as their predecessors."
I agree but this dark horse is taking the trophy...Pandimonium just start.
Complain about this postWhat is the price range for seat tickets? Sounds like a local electrician or bank teller might not be able to afford to attend.
Complain about this postPakistan thought that by opting to field first they would be able to bowl the Wizzies out cheaply and knock the runs off for a comforable victory - how wrong they were!
Complain about this postPakistan started this worldcup with very performance, their body language was not there where it needed to be.Yunis missed easy catch and then got out by playing very irresponsible shot.
Complain about this postRana needs to go out for sure,I dont understand why he got selected at first place when Pakistan have a better all rounder Azher,secondly inzi should come up in the order,In 1992 worldcup Imran changed his batting order and used to come up on 2 and that worked for Pakistan in that worldcup.
Welcome to Calypso Cricket!!!! The West Indies are what the Bralizians are to "samba" football. Name any other team in the World Cup or the sporting world for that matter that has built an entire music industry around a sport. Not World cup football, hockey, basketball, etc
Listen for our next tune against Zimbawe
Its in our DNA! Well done boys. Windies Fire Raging!!
Complain about this postIt is sad to see the way the game has deteriorated in a country that once was the proud home on some of the greatest teams international cricket has ever seen. Thank god India still loves its cricket!
Complain about this postI think you have gone out of your way to make the World Cup organization seem worse than it is. I would like you to state how you were inconvenienced by the apparent hurried worksmanship such as a shoddy paint job. The organizers should have no excuse for some of the delays they had, but with that said, it in no way subtracted from the atmosphere that resonated within the ground and around the island. Despite the FEW emoty seats in Sabina Park, and I do mean a few, the atmosphere was perfect and it was a wonderful start to what will prove to be an exciting World Cup especially since there is no other atmosphere in cricket such as exists in a Caribbean cricket ground. I think you are feeling an air of superiority with you being from a first world country (I am confident in assuming you are English) and all but I implore you to not let such feelings cloud your judgement as the minor hiccups you mentioned are nothing for you to sound so indignant about. Please enjoy the rest of your stay in the Caribbean and especially in Jamaica. P.S. No the West Indies team is not the best team in the world but please remember that England isn't a much better ODI team IF they are indeed better. Take a look back at the last two ICC champions trophies and compare the performances.
Complain about this postwell..this only proves the fact that cricket's boring!:).i
Complain about this post"Thank god India still loves its cricket!" - I agree.
The smallest of Indian grounds attract full crowds. Perhaps that's why BCCI is so rich...
Complain about this postPersonally, I believe all Caribbean people should be aiming for perfection in everything we do. But if I entered Sabina or any cricket ground, I would be far less concerned about the quality of the paint work, that I would about safety or the quality of the pitch. I am sure if I entered Lords today, I would find evidence of defective workmanship or poor maintenance. I would be concerned if a rafter was hanging loose; but I would hardly be concerned if one coat of paint was applied to the rafters.
Caribbean nations have defied all odds in hosting this event; and all Caribbean people should take great pride in their accomplishments thus far.
Complain about this postCome on Levor. The old "first world air of superiority" argument is a bit hackneyed. Its not like we wouldn't criticise the same things if the WC was in England. And to also be so sensitive about any comment about the WI team not being as good as teams of old by saying that England are not that impressive either, when England weren't even mentioned in the original article (or any pf the posts) just confirms the chip on your shoulder. Should anyone from England not have the right to say anything bad about the organisation or teams of the World Cup? Be a bit more objective and enjoy it - as I am sure everyone will.
Complain about this postall the best to my fellow mates-Zimbabwe "Zimboz". Been alot of hardwork prior to the world cup, hope my blocs defy the odds and bit the Windies...classic one hey! Realistically if we beat Ireland we're home and dry and we can come back home and look forward to the next world cup.
We're there to prove that we're not rock bottom and there is Ireland beneath us.
Congrats to the Windies, what a colourful opening ceremony.
Complain about this postThe ICC behaves like a monopoly. The high ticket prices are just one symptom of that. In continental Europe (apart from maybe the Netherlands), I don't think anyone bought any broadcast rights (which were probably priced as greedily as the seats in the stadium). So here in France I can't get any live coverage - even internet radio - of any matches.
Complain about this postthe fact there are so many seats is because of the inflated prices.i am not 100% sure of prices but if the wicb rip off fans like they did when england last toured it is no surprise.i had to pay 59 pounds sterling for a 12 year old son for each of the 5 days.because the barbados test was over in 3 days we could not even get any money back.i vowed then that i would never return to the caribean to watch cricket.
Complain about this postIN THINK THAT W.INDIES IS A BRILLIANT PALCE FOR SPORTING ACTIVITIES AND PLAYERS WILL ENJOY A LOT BESIDE PLAYING MATCHES AS IT IS A FABILOUS PLACE TO VISIT. I WISH BEST OF LUCK TO ALL THE TEAMS AND I PRAY THAT SOME NEW TEAM MUST COME UP THIS TIME AS WORLD CHAMPION AS WE ALL ARE BORED TO SEE PREVIOUS WINNERS WINNING AGAIN AND AGAIN...
Complain about this postBEST OF LUCK TO ALL TEAMS...
pakistan need to learn how to bat and yousuf needs to speed up! bring back afridi
Complain about this postI saw the highlights yesterday and the thing which surprised me most was the less tha full house. As cricket is the main sport in Windies they are quite rightly crazy about the game.
But do you think the organising bodies really care about the local fans. I doubt it because most of their income comes from tv and sponsorships. I think we also saw poor attendences during the last ICC tournament in India. With cricket trying to emulate football I think the real fans will go on finding harder to be able to afford the rocketing ticket prices.
Perhaps in developing countries like the Windies, local school kids could be given tickets free and any accompanied parents at subsided prices.
Complain about this postThat first over of Pakistan's innings was a blowout! Dot, six, wicket, four...wow. It was all downhill from there.
I think that nitpicking about the paintwork is a bit sly. As Tony Crozier remarked to Aggers when pressed on the matter: "How's Wembley coming along then? On time? On budget?"
Get a grip, Poms.
Complain about this postI watched the game and was wondering why there were empty seats. If it's down to tickets being too expensive for average West Indies fans then the organisers and ICC should be ashamed of themselves.
Surely some tickets should be apportioned to local fans at cheaper prices.
Result = full stadia plus kids can get in to see the games and maybe fall in love with the sport.
Complain about this postIt was a bit disappointing that it was not a sell out but to be honest, and this is coming from someone that earns a fairly decent salary, the cost of travel, accommodation and the match ticket was totalling 2 months salary! The local travel agents were having a field day and at that price the comfort of my arm chair and sky sports seems like a really good deal!
Complain about this postI think the practice nets being unusable is worse than the paintwork being a bit slapdash.
But then it should be easier to make sure you've painted an existing building on schedule (without using the practice nets as a dumping ground) than it is to build a highly complex stadium from scratch. (Dazarama - guess we shouldn't have hired Aussies Multiplex to build Wembley...)
As for Pakistan - remember in 1992 they lost their first match to the West Indies as well - and by ten wickets. They went on to win the World Cup.
Complain about this postMessage for Alan in post 13, where abouts in France do you live? A few years back my family went to the north of France for a holiday and found that we could pick up R4 LW fairly clearly, enabling us to keep in touch with the England SA series at the time. Have you tried this? Its worth a shot.
Complain about this postParesh, why don't you come home, your constant negative attitude has now bored me. All you talk about is the preparartion. Athens ran down to the wire and as for Wembley ! - West Indies have done a good job, its a big undertaking,
Complain about this postWas the BBC cameraman on the Rum and cokes yesterday, the picture was all over the place!!
Complain about this postWhat's this dig at us poms over Wembley Stadium? It was an Aussie company rebuilding it remember ;-) Interesting to note though that the English FA priced tickets for Wembley's opening game very cheap and sold all 60,000 seats - a world record for an Under-21 fixture. The ICC would do well to follow, but I guess it's too late for this tournament now.
Complain about this postTicket prices that are inaccessible to the general public support that was the life blood of many crowds in the 1950s through to the late 1980s, are damnable.
Complain about this postI think that the supreme irony is that the BBC jingle that has been with us for decades - the rhythmic, joyous clanking of cans, and the shrill whistles - predates excessive pricing and equally damnable, but no doubt economically vital, corporate hospitality seats, and sadly has much less resonance with moderns crowds.
To say nothing of the relative abilities of this current team, compared with those same earlier eras. But let's get behind these boys, who clearly pulled out a few extra stops yesterday. Well done West Indies!
As Tony Crozier remarked to Aggers when pressed on the matter: "How's Wembley coming along then? On time? On budget?"
Get a grip, Poms.
*~*~*~*~*~*
I seem to recall Wembley was actually built by an Australian firm...
It's a real shame that the opening game wasn't completely sold out, though, especially with the home team playing. How high are the ticket prices anyway?
Complain about this postHey, they said that the game was a sellout and the largest crowd ever at Sabina park??
Complain about this postI think empty seats may have been corportae sponsor block seats.
Remember those from the the FWC in Germany
Still It looked pretty full to me on television.
Are you actually there in Jamaica ???
They reserved some seats for the pakistani fans and they did not show up!!!
Complain about this postI guess you would say "consistency,consistency"
I think the Windies will make you eat your words!!
First things first - it WAS a cracking atmosphere, better than almost anything I've experienced before. And West Indies' victory was great for the tournament.
As I have constantly said, what has happened no way reflects on ordinary Jamaicans.
But we can't gloss over mistakes. The cover charge for my ticket in the "observation area" was US$100 and that was by no means in one of the best seats in the house!
I am having a fantastic time here in response to those who think I'm being negative. I am merely conscious about rubbing it in for those left behind in grey and dreary old England!
Complain about this postParesh all you do is moan mate, yeah the ticket prices are very high, shame, just like they are at every other event of this size, end of.
What is more expensive are flights and accomodation all the way to flippin' Jamaica and then having the prospect of having to island hop at about £100 return to watch the next game, the reason there was a lack of supporters was not due to a lack of West Indians, it was due to a lack of Pakistani fans, cos it's so expensive to get to.
As for "some of the paintwork needing a touch up" hello.......have you been to the caribbean mate, what did you expect, nothing is hurried that's just how it is. Saying you expected everything to be ready is like saying you expect not one of the old duffers at lords to fall asleep during a 5 day test match, it's unrealistic.
What you have managed to say is that the Windies are rubbish and haven't got any good players, so bad in your opnion, they cannot be mentioned in the same breath as the greats, cos Lara isn't a great, Sarwan and Chanderpaul in their own rights aren't great players, and Samuels, Smith and Bravo didn't bat and field with agression and poise like the teams of old - with so many young players and even some of their better players slighly misfiring with the bat (Chanderpaul / Gayle) the margin could have been greater.
In my opinion if you hate it that much, send me your flight tickets, your press pass, your accomodation details and i'll change my name to Paresh and we'll see how poor this Carribean cricket malarky is.................
Complain about this postHi Paresh
Complain about this postRegarding yor comments about ticket prices
Yes they are high but you've got to understand some thing before you mouth off.
I advise you to go on an tour (escorted please!!) of any West Indian getto area and observe the fancy trainers, and designer hip hop clothing that these guys are wearing. These things cost at least $100 US easy.
At the same time observe the quality of housing and other services. They suck big time!!
In these areas having the righth gear is really important
In Trinidad, Carnival has really big participation from people like teachers, bank tellers,etc. i.e working class people (especially ladies!!) The costumes cost upwards of $US300
Its not just a matter of income but of priorities!!!
Finally, WI cricket is broke. This is a once in a life time opportunity to repair the situation. How, will we get the funds to compete with UK Lottery funding, pay the boys consistently and upgrade our "shabby" facilities??
I must say i was surprised at the way both teams batted but must say well done to WI for sticking to their task, 241 was a decent score but the way they bowled was magnificent, credit to all the younger players who stood up and were counted Samuels and Smith with the bat and then Smith and Bravo with the ball.
Complain about this postMaybe if the blogger made an attempt to write for an international audience rather than those "left behind in grey and dreary old England!" those elsewhere might be more forgiving . . .
Complain about this postRe: J K Pitrola
"I saw the highlights yesterday and the thing which surprised me most was the less tha full house. As cricket is the main sport in Windies they are quite rightly crazy about the game."
Not true, cricket is no longer the #1 sport in some countries. In the two largest cricket playing nations in the Caribbean (Jamaica, Trinidad), Football is without a doubt #1, for some years now. Since the Reggae Boyz qualified for the Fifa WC in 98', I'm certain the gap is sizable there. For us, our Football WC qualification last year propelled football even further ahead. I think the day Lara retires, Cricket might drop to #3 in Trinidad. That said, that likely has nothing to do with a half empty stadium, there is still more than enough support to fill a 20,000 capacity stadium.
I can only speculate as to why the stadium wasn't full in Jamaica. Here, in Trinidad, the entire event has been badly marketed. The awareness we received about the event was more related to the traffic incoveniences we'll be receiving during match days. There was no effort made to associate our culture to the event. During Carnival here, every street light and corner has some form of Carnival poster/banner, nothing for this world cup.
I don't think the issue is just price. For me, the problem is this "West Indian World Cup" doesn't feel like it has much Caribbean culture in it, atleast it was never marketed to us that way.
Complain about this postParesh's observations are pointed and may be accurate but are grossly unfair. The islands of the Caribbean are staging this tournament for the first time and will obviously learn from their mistakes. The great thing is that the tournament is off, the public is sensitised and the Wesy Indies are back in business.
Complain about this postThe WC shouldn't have been awarded to the West Indies in the first place. They neither have the grounds, facilities, infrastructure or, as it appears, the willingness to get things sorted in time.
I hope the greedy folk at the ICC take due note and never again repeat this howler. I also hope they don't make too much money out of this silly competetion lasting 51 days.
Complain about this postI am really tired of hearing the current West Indies team being compared to our teams of old. All the critcs need to stop pressuring the youngsters about the all time West Indian greats and allow them to develop at their own pace. Now yesterday's win was a great accomplishment seeing the score was short of about 20 runs so why not just say that the boys did well and refrain from comparing them. And while you are at it was it necessary to make mention of the price of the locals attire as compared to ticket prices? The fact that Sabina Park wasn't full to capactiy had no impact on the game as the supporters were as usaul very passionate proving that we still love our cricket and still adore our cricketers; we have accepted the fact that they are not the best but enjoy the fact that those believed to be the best have been repeatedly beaten by us!
Complain about this postGo West Indies!
For those of you visiting the Caribbean for World Cup 2007, Have a wonderful time! Take some time off from complaining about the "paint", the late starts or infrastructure to truly enjoy these beautiful islands , their culture- lovely beaches, friendly citizens, their food and hospitality.
Let this adventure be more than just comparing notes between large 1st world nations and small third world countries. Make some friends, learn about their culture and most of all have fun!!
Just a gentle reminder to all of you...apart from Jamaica and Trinidad, not one of these islands have a population that exceeds 280,000. These separate independednt nations, chose to come together to take on the most ambitious project ever. Are there problems...Yes, but let's try at least to recognize their great efforts.
Complain about this postAs a West Indian Fan, I generally "follow the team" across the Caribbean when they are playing at home. However, I made my decision very early that I would watch the events via Pay Per View and bought tickets only to Super Eights and Final. Many other West Indian supporters opted as well for the Pay Per view package.
Don't be alarmed that Sabina was not sold out....many West Indian supporters chose not to attend due first to the strict ICC restrictions in place for attendance at the grounds during the World Cup event(2) the difficulty to make travel connections across the region and last of all the ticket prices.
Many supporters felt that that due to high prices and tight restrictions, it made sense to invest money where the matches would be more competitive. Therefore I expect to see empty seats until the Super Eights.
Complain about this postParesh,
No one can begrudge your personal opionion and writing as you see it.
However you have an unprecedented opportunity to open your mind, learn, and to share with your readers.
The West Indies is more than just pristine beaches. There is an amazing richness to the people, food, music, and hospitality. We don't do pristine monuments.
We have given so much to world cricket. This World Cup is about honoring these contributions, rising to the challenge of hosting such an event, inviting the world in. We are inexperienced in hosting such events, but we have to start somewhere. The final chapter is yet to be written, but it has been a massive achievement to have come this far.
Paresh, take the opportunity to challenge us West Indians, but to also learn from us. Be part of the solution to show the world we are more than just beaches and tourist resorts.
Complain about this postDoes this man has anything good to say about the caribbean?
You can always go back to England or where ever
Complain about this postthe hell you are from--------- you are rediculous.
Hi, your comment was most refreshing & enlighting coming from someone who's not a Jamaican(I hope) but it was good to hear it from a person not bias to us Jamaicans....
Complain about this postI think that on any other major Caribbean ground the game would have been sold out and jammed packed. Definitely if it was Trinidad or Barbados. The ticket prices are not that high if you take the magisty of the event into consideration. I have seen people in Trinidad lining up for tickets to Bermuda vs. Bangledesh. to them they just want to be apart of this special moment. Imagine what would have happened if Lara was going to be there.
Complain about this postI am a Brit living in Jamaica and my worst fears for the World Cup were realised when driving into downtown Kingston and there was not one road sign to tell me where I should be heading to avoid the slums of Trenchtown and the other surrounding dangerous areas that I have been long-advised to avoid.
I had previously contacted the Jamaican CWC hotline to query why my ticket package did not contain any driving or transportation directions and the lady on the end of the phone could not understand why I needed them or why I should feel unsafe in the notoriously dangerous downtown Kingston.
Anyway, we got there in one piece, the park and ride worked very well to be fair - just surprised to be charged double the rate advertised on the website (the original printed amount being changed by hand - not dodgy at all!)
Fortunately the game was excellent - a very good distraction from the 2 hour lunch queue, the absolute disarray at the bar where they ran out of rum at 10am, the cave like toilets (no lights or windows) with no soap dispensers or hand towels.
Merchandising - what a sham - you never make money unless you sell stuff! We wanted to buy the obligatory Windies shirt and hat and were left very disappointed by the absolute lack of merchandise available (nothing larger than a medium and there were only three shirts left at the stand we visited at 9.30am)
What a wasted opportunity Jamaica, and shame on you for inviting the world to show off your beautiful country and failing so miserably with the basics. We can only hope that this was first match jitters, but I doubt it. Lets hope that the other countries can pull something out of the bag to prove that the caribbean is a worthy host of an international sporting event.
Complain about this post