St. Peter's: Brian Lara, the West Indies captain, said the poor spectator turn-out in stadiums across the Caribbean for the World Cup was "disappointing."

"You'd back yourself to think that at least every single game that West Indies plays is going to be a full house," said Lara. "We were received very well in Jamaica, where we got a good crowd against Pakistan and Ireland, but I thought I would be able to close my eyes here, and for the rest of the tournament, and just see our people come out and support the World Cup and support West Indies."

The transition in some islands from beloved, traditional venues to modern stadi-ums hasn't been without trouble. The Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground is as magnificent as any you'd hope to find, but some fans here say it doesn't compare to the convenience and the atmosphere of the Antigua Recreation Ground (ARG).

The organisers have tried to transplant some of the elements of the ARG: it's not certain if Gravy, the cross-dressing intellectual, and Chickie, the supremely capable DJ, have shifted base permanently, but they were at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium during the West Indies-Australia match.

Fans' complaints

Complaints from fans here include the price of tickets, the long walk after parking and the long queues for food and drink. These complaints aren't, however, restricted to the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.

John Archer, an Australian following Ireland, told The Hindu in Kingston that he went without lunch at Sabina Park for two days because he was afraid he'd miss the action if he stood in line.

Lara spoke of the need of a change in mindset. "When you're talking about the improvement of facilities, the spectators also have to adapt," he said.

"It's not enough to be able to stay in the same areas or stadiums just because the atmosphere was great. We've had some wonderful times at the ARG, but now we move on to the Sir Viv stadium and it is something to be proud of over the years.

Dilapidated stadiums

"Some of these stadiums were dilapidated. Georgetown and other grounds have been around for a long time. I'm sure people will adjust. I may have been disappointed with the crowd, but I thought the party stand wasn't bad here or in Jamaica.

"People are going to enjoy it, and I think the cricketers are very happy that we have facilities that are second to none," Lara added.

The other concern, probably related to pricing and voiced by some of the past West Indian greats, is the absence of school children in the stadiums.

"I fell in love with the game after once watching Sir Frank Worrell bat live," said former wicketkeeper Deryck Murray. "It's an image that has stayed with me all these years. But, I don't see any school kids at the cricket these days. How are they going to have these images and how are they going to fall in love (with the game)?"

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail