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INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KINGSTON 000418 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PLEASE PASS FOR WHA/PDA (DETTER) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC EAIR ECON PREL PTER JM
SUBJECT: CRICKET WORLD CUP 2007: URGENCY REQUIRED, BUT 
INTERNATIONAL CRICKET COUNCIL NOT WORRIED (YET) 
 
REF: KINGSTON 00198 
 
This message is sensitive but unclassified.  Please handle 
accordingly. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  Seeking to assess the state of Jamaica's 
preparations to host the opening ceremony and some 
competitive matches for the 2007 International Cricket 
Council (ICC) World Cup, Ambassador and Econoff met 
seperately with three top organizing officials:  Chris 
Dehring, Managing Director and CEO of Cricket World Cup, 
Incorporated (CWC); Chris Tetley (strictly protect), the 
International Cricket Council,s (ICC) liaison to the CWC, 
which is managing the Cricket World Cup, to be held in nine 
CARICOM nations around the Caribbean in March-April 2007; and 
Robert Bryan, Chairman and CEO of Jamaica's Local Organizing 
Committee (LOC) for the event.  Tetley explained the 
organizational structure of the event, and disputed the 
notion that the ICC was displeased with the level of progress 
made, given that the Opening Ceremony (which is to be held in 
Jamaica on March 11, 2007) is just over one year away.  He 
also addressed problems of geographical complexity, 
infrastructure, security, and urgency that various 
stakeholders have raised in conversations with emboffs.  End 
summary. 
 
---------- 
Background 
---------- 
 
¶2. (U) The nations of the West Indies will host the 2007 
International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup, to be held 
from March 11 to April 28.  Although cricket's profile in the 
U.S. is a limited one beyond some immigrant communities, the 
sport is the most popular in Jamaica, and is widely 
considered to be one of the most important "unifiers" among 
the disparate and far-flung English-speaking CARICOM states. 
In hosting the 2007 Cricket World Cup, Jamaica joins Trinidad 
and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, 
St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the 
Grenadines.  Given the participation in the tournament of 
national teams representing the West Indies (which famously 
fields a regional, rather than a national team), England, 
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Africa, Australia and 
other nations, and visiting contingents of fans from 
participating countries, the event will focus international 
attention on Jamaica and the region early in 2007. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the 
governing body for cricket, responsible for promoting the 
game worldwide.  It is the ICC that is the "owner" of the 
2007 Cricket World Cup.  However, in keeping with the 
organizational structure of the 2003 World Cup that was held 
in South Africa, the ICC contracted the West Indies Cricket 
Board (WICB) to run the actual event.  The WICB, in turn, 
established Cricket World Cup, Incorporated (CWC) as the 
management company.  At the same time, each of the 
participating governments set up a Local Organizing Committee 
(LOC), and these agencies contract with CWC to coordinate the 
matches and activities in their specific countries. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The event represents a massive organizational, 
logistical and infrastructural undertaking which, if well 
executed, presents an opportunity for Jamaica to burnish its 
image to potential tourists and investors. The potential 
downside, of course, is that a poorly organized event would 
embarrass the GOJ and could scare away tourists and 
investors.  Just over a year before the event begins, the GOJ 
faces considerable challenges in preparing for the event 
thanks to resource constraints, poor infrastructure and a 
high rate of violent crime.  The Ambassador and Econoff met 
recently and separately with three senior officials 
organizing the event to sound them out about the state of 
Jamaica's preparations:  Chris Dehring, Managing Director and 
CEO of Cricket World Cup, Incorporated (CWC); Chris Tetley 
(strictly protect), the International Cricket Council,s 
(ICC) liaison to the CWC, which is managing the Cricket World 
Cup, to be held in nine nations around the Caribbean; and 
Robert Bryan, Chairman and CEO of Jamaica's Local Organizing 
Committee (LOC) for the event. 
--------- 
Geography 
--------- 
 
¶5. (U) The unifying theme of the difficulties of hosting this 
event is geography.  In a December meeting with the 
Ambassador, Chris Dehring, the Managing Director and CEO of 
CWC, related an anecdote about the 2002 Soccer World Cup 
which was hosted jointly by Japan and South Korea.  After 
that event, said Dehring, soccer,s international governing 
 
KINGSTON 00000418  002 OF 004 
 
 
body, FIFA, announced that it would no longer hold the 
quadrennial competition across national boundaries, due to 
the logistical hurdles that organizers had to surmount.  "Now 
multiply that by nine," said Dehring, referring to the 
CARICOM host nations. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Chris Tetley, the ICC's liaison to the CWC, told 
Econoff that it is rumored within the ICC that this would be 
the last time such a contracting arrangement would be set up 
to run a World Cup.  He noted that there is an inherent 
tension in having the Cup being the "property" of the ICC, 
while at the same time distancing itself from the day-to-day 
operations by using a contractor.  His role is to walk the 
tightrope between assisting and advising CWC, while at the 
same time monitoring and reporting back to the ICC on the 
progress being made.  What structure future Cup events might 
take, however, he was unable to specify. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Tetley was categorical that suggestions that the ICC 
was displeased with the progress being made for the 2007 
event were not/not true.  He noted that any undertaking of 
this magnitude, with just over a year remaining until the 
Opening Ceremony, will have areas which are behind schedule, 
and about which concerns will grow.  "I cannot conceive," he 
stated, "of a scenario regarding 'operational deliverables' 
under which we would consider moving the World Cup" to an 
entirely different venue.  In this case, the back-up country 
is South Africa.  The worst case that he envisions would 
involve a limited number of venues, owing (most likely) to a 
natural disaster such as a hurricane.  Nonetheless, Tetley 
was candid about some of the hardships that remain. 
 
¶8. (SBU) While many stakeholders had hoped that the World Cup 
could be a catalyst for changes that would dovetail with the 
needs of the newly emerging Caribbean Single Market and 
Economy (CSME, see reftel), it appears that it is too late to 
codify the necessary legislation.  Visas illustrate this 
point clearly.  Originally, organizers had hoped to have a 
&Smart Card8 issued to fans at their first port of entry, 
containing biographic and biometric data which could be used 
to track their movements during the competition.  While this 
card would expire after 60 days, and the legislation would 
"sunset", many privately hoped that it could be a test run 
for a wider system for CARICOM citizens, with the possibility 
of extending the legislation indefinitely.  The cost of this 
technology, according to Derek Jones ) the Senior Legal 
Counsel for CWC, with responsibility for developing draft 
legislation ) was prohibitive.  Jones said that a 
"low-technology" solution, with cards that had only 
biographic data, and no tracking capability, was likely.  His 
team was looking now towards regulations rather than 
legislation.  "There is simply not enough time," he said. 
 
-------------- 
Infrastructure 
-------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) While concerns have been raised about the lack of 
accommodation for the potentially massive influx of fans 
wanting to see matches, Tetley believes the issue is 
overblown.  Press reports have placed the potential number of 
visitors to the region at 80-100,000.  The 2003 Cricket World 
Cup in South Africa received 20,000, Tetley said. (Note: 
Tetley worked in the same capacity at the 2003 event.  End 
note.)  Even accounting for the relative ease of travel to 
the Caribbean for cricket fans, he expressed his opinion that 
30-40,000 was more likely. 
 
¶10. (SBU) This is not to suggest that there are no obstacles, 
however.  Both to the press and to emboffs, Dehring has 
raised the case of Guyana, where the CWC contingent (e.g., 
organizers, VIPs, sponsors, etc.) will require approximately 
500 rooms, with only 200 available.  Tetley concurred that 
Guyana faces &a challenge8 in this regard, but also noted 
that the LOC there had been working closely with the 
Government and the CWC to add urgency to addressing this 
problem.  Econoff asked Tetley and Dehring about the 
oft-mentioned possibility that cruise ships might be used at 
some venues as "floating hotels," but both stated that they 
had not heard of any definitive plans.  While not ruling out 
the possibility of private entrepreneurs exploring this 
option, Tetley wondered if it was not already too late for 
such a venture.  Tellingly, both Dehring and Tetley made 
reference to the fact that accomodation was not, strictly 
speaking, within their purview. 
 
¶11. (SBU) With regard to stadiums being constructed or 
upgraded in the region, Tetley expressed concerns about the 
actual playing surfaces, rather than the infrastructure. 
Temporary stands, he noted, can be erected at very short 
 
KINGSTON 00000418  003 OF 004 
 
 
notice if construction has not progressed quickly enough.  An 
unplayable "wicket" ) the surface upon which the batsmen 
stand ) is another matter entirely.  Tetley again raised 
Guyana as an example, as they have recently dug up their 
wicket for replanting, which might not leave enough time for 
grass to grow in properly.  Don Lockerbie, a venue and 
operations planner for CWC, stated separately to econoff that 
"miracles are required every day," and that they might have 
to "pull it off with smoke and mirrors," a reference to the 
possible need for temporary stands for fans.  (Note: 
Lockerbie, a U.S. citizen, has extensive experience in the 
field, having worked on the 1994 FIFA World Cup and on 
stadium planning for the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games.  End 
note.) 
 
-------- 
Security 
-------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) It is important to draw a distinction between event 
security and national security.  According to Dehring, there 
is a draft "master plan" for the region, which will cover 
areas relating to national security, as well as 
event-specific plans.  Both Dehring and Tetley claimed 
ignorance of the details, and referred econoff to John 
Collymore, the ICC Security Director.  Collymore highlighted 
the problems of geographical coordination, noting that there 
were nine sovereign nations, with nine attorneys-general, and 
nine sets of legislation.  He also pointed to the lack of 
high-technology equipment, and weak intelligence sharing 
among the participating nations.  He noted that his team knew 
of "no specific and credible threats" at this time. 
 
¶13. (SBU) Econoff asked about fan access, and whether he 
anticipated any unrest from Jamaican fans who were accustomed 
to simply showing up at Jamaican venues for international 
matches hosted by the West Indies team.  With tickets scarce, 
and financially beyond the reach of many, some commentators 
have worried that "the average Jamaican cricket fan" may 
react harshly to an inability to attend the games.  Collymore 
stated that "it was too early to worry about that" on a 
policy level, and further suggested that this would be a 
"local security matter," best addressed by the Jamaica 
Constabulary Force (JCF). 
 
------- 
Urgency 
------- 
 
¶14. (U) Dehring has long been of the view that the 
governments of the region, and particularly the GOJ, do not 
have the required urgency about preparations.  In a 
conversation with the Ambassador in December, he opined that 
the GOJ,s successful hosting of the World Junior Track and 
Field Championships in 2002 engendered overconfidence.  He 
believes that many - regional politicians, Ministers of 
Tourism, and hotel operators and associations, to name those 
that he specified - fully comprehend neither the scale and 
scope of this undertaking, nor their stake in the outcome. 
He reiterated this in a press release on February 14, in 
which he stated that "LOCs require increasing support from 
and access to government officials," and that "the importance 
of such cooperation cannot be overestimated." 
 
¶15. (SBU) Robert Bryan, Chairman and CEO of Jamaica Cricket 
2007 Ltd, Jamaica,s LOC, succinctly expressed this fact. 
"All of the Prime Ministers have been very enthusiastic," he 
told econoff, "but they have various duties."  He framed the 
problem of urgency in terms of incentives.  If all goes 
wrong, the politicians can blame the ICC.  The ICC has the 
option to sue the WICB for breach of contract provisions, who 
will turn to Dehring,s CWC.  And Dehring, naturally, can 
turn on the LOCs.  He noted that the disgruntled fan is most 
likely to blame the LOC, giving those higher up in the 
organizational structure little reason to worry.  The ICC,s 
Tetley, however, disagreed.  &Ultimately,8 he said, &a 
poor World Cup reflects poorly on us all.8 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶16. (SBU) It is easy to be an alarmist with regard to the 
2007 Cricket World Cup.  In Jamaica, at least, the general 
public nevertheless appears to be of the opinion that Dehring 
will, as Lockerbie noted, "pull it off."  What is certainly 
true is that there will also have to be Lockerbie's "smoke 
and mirrors."  With just over a year to go, right now it is 
difficult to believe that the CWC can address all the issues 
to make sure that the event will be "done to world-class 
 
KINGSTON 00000418  004 OF 004 
 
 
standards," as Dehring hoped in a January press release.  Of 
particular concern is the laissez-faire attitude expressed by 
some of our interlocutors.  Accommodation may not be in any 
one organization's "portfolio," but the fact remains that a 
chronic lack of it will engender problems across the event. 
Likewise, stating that angry fans not being able to get 
tickets is a "local police matter" is only acceptable if you 
have a highly capable local police force, something the JCF 
is not.  Beyond the operational components that have been 
explored in this cable, septel will report on the growing 
concerns over the region,s debt burden in the aftermath of 
the Cup, as well as the intellectual property rights issues 
that many believe the Jamaican public, at least, does not 
fully comprehend. 
TIGHE