By Calvin Roberts
When the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) President’s Cup limited overs competition commences tomorrow with three matches across Guyana, cricket lovers in the Caribbean would get the opportunity to follow their teams’ performance on radio.
Guyana’s National Communications Network (NCN) along with Barbados’ Line and Length Incorporated, will partner to air the tournament with NCN taking care of one game whilst Line and Length, which is being headed by Barry Wilkinson, the WICB and the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) will cover the expenses of the other two matches per day.
At a press briefing held in the studios of NCN yesterday, Wilkinson stated that the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) which has been broadcasting cricket locally over the years, will not be doing so and seeing that cricket lovers in the region have been starved of radio commentary he thought it best to have the nine-day tournament covered.
Wilkinson added that it was his company’s intention to carry last year’s tournament live via radio to the Caribbean but negotiations fell through but, having spoken to Chief Executive Officer of the WICB Donald Peters, this time around cricket commentary has become a reality.
Seasoned cricket commentator Andrew Mason has been tasked with assembling the commentators for the project, and he told those gathered at the briefing including president of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Chetram Singh, Public Relations Officer (PRO Terry Holder and Marketing officer Ramsey Alli, that the commentators had already been chosen.
Whilst commentators such as Guyana’s Sean Devers, Cardigan Conner, Inderjeet Persaud, Naim Chan and Mason himself will be a part of the panel, fresh faces in the likes of former West Indies fast bowlers Colin Croft and Reon King, brothers Roger and Mark Harper, Roderick Lovell, Maurice Foster and Neil Barry, will be part of the comments panel.
Meanwhile, Singh informed those gathered that preparations for the tournament have been coming along smoothly and that the GCB did not foresee any hiccups with the preparations.
He also stated that all venues for the competition were in good condition, including the practice venues.
Alli stated that marketing of the competition would be done in phases with the first phase being the first round which will take place from November 13-15, the second stage will be the second round from the 17th to 19th.
The semi final and final will take on a different outlook and according to Alli, a different marketing strategy was in place as they will be looking to have a packed to capacity Guyana National Stadium for these three matches.
