Kingston---August 30, 2006 ---One could not help noticing the pride and joy on the faces of the children, some of them quite small, who went out on the field holding the hands of the players in the recently concluded FIFA World Cup. Is anything being planned to include our children in some prominent way in the Cricket World Cup (CWC) so that they can feel that they are a part of this historic occasion in the Caribbean?

Some of the sponsors of the event already have promotional programmes targeting children. It is the Iinternational Cricket Council (ICC) that has responsibility for the actual programme surrounding the cricket. As far as we know, there are no plans specifically focused on children in the cricket programme.

The concept for the opening ceremony has in it space for the participation of children in very substantial ways.

The Local Organising Committe (LOC) is presently looking at a number of scenarios which will involve children interacting with the 16 teams, among other things that will require approval from the CWC 2007 Inc. and the ICC.

The biggest opportunity for showcasing our children rests with the Government and the efforts that they put into showcasing the country through a properly organised and coordinated national country programme, whether through the tourist ministry, the cultural and entertainment bodies along with the trade promotion agencies in association with the private sector in the country.

I am more than a little concerned at the failure of the LOC to stand up to some of the ridiculous stipulations being laid down by the ICC for the upcoming World Cup, such as the banning of dutch pots, cooked food, noise makers, picnic baskets, food carriers etc. Why ban these things?

The CWC is an event owned by the ICC which sets the rules that govern this event, including the standards that govern them.

These include all the areas referred to in the question, many of the rules and restrictions are reflective of the ever-increasing restrictions being put into place for major international events. Many of the restrictions have also been implemented in light of the international concern of terrorist threats. These threats may not have been the focus of normal cricket events in the Caribbean, but the international profile and standing of the ICC CWC requires that attention be placed on these areas.

The LOC is bound by a number of stipulations as laid out in the Host Venue Agreement (HVA) that was signed by the Government of Jamaica. We continue to provide advice to the ICC and CWC on the rules and where applicable on the potential impact in the marketplace but at all times the final decisions rest with the event authority which is the ICC.