World Cricket Call: Have Your Say

[Anguillan newsboy]

Friday March 9 is the date for BBC Caribbean's cricket call-in programme World Cricket Call.

The program - one of two, the other will be aired on April 27 - can be heard online on this site, on participating stations throughout the Caribbean and BBC FM in Jamaica.

Hosts Bertram Niles in our London Studios and Orin Gordon, reporting from Jamaica, will be joined by guests including former West Indies captain Alvin Kallicharran in London, and former wicketkeeper Jeffrey Dujon and cricket commentator Tony Cozier in Jamaica.

A special invitation from Orin Gordon and Bertram Niles

Alvin Kallicharran has told BBC Caribbean that "it's a wide-open world cup."

Hear Alvin Kallicharan talking to Ken Richards

HAVE YOUR SAY. Insert your comments in the space provided on this page.

Which team do you think will win CWC'07?

Will CWC be a financial windfall or economic hurricane for the Caribbean?

You can also Have Your Say 'live' on Friday March 9th in 'World Cricket Call' from BBC Caribbean. To be part of the program make a quick call to 00-44-207-557-1090 and we'll call you back. You can also post your comments on this page. Include your telephone number and you could be called to make your point live on air. Telephone numbers will not be disclosed to third parties.

WHAT YOU'VE BEEN SAYING

Hello guys I am so thrilled to know that you have this program although I will not be able to hear it. I can really see that the Cricket World Cup will be the biggest event ever in the history of the Caribbean. Also I want to say hi to Tony Cozier and the rest of the crew (without disrespecting anyone): I think that he is one of the greatest minds on WI cricket ever never to have played cricket at the highest level.
Right now I am studying in Cuba and the only news I get of cricket and Caribbean news is through the BBC(my little radio). A pity that I will not be able to hear the “Cricket Call” but I just wanted to send the e-mail anyway to let everyone know that one cricket fan should be counted present if not physically but spiritually. Possibly the BBC should try to put some of the best contributions into a small package for the Caribbean reports or programs or probably send a schedule of the matches and the result directly to my inbox.
Ambrose
A St Lucian studying in Cuba

The WI still have more preparations to do. Sarwan needs to be at three, while Lara must bat at 5. Bravo needs to be in the team but my team for the tournament is as always South Africa.
Sanjay Beharry
Fyrish, Guyana

I think this year's World Cup Cricket will be smoothly and fairly played by its respective teams. However there are lots of competitive and strong teams. I guess that the West Indies have a great chance to exceed people's expectation, as well as the Australians. I have got my eyes on both of them. Good luck to you both. You have just got to be consistent and rigid.
Colin Alexander
Georgetown, Guyana

While South Africa and Australia are hot favourites top win the world cup, even their victory cannot be guaranteed as the present form does not matter and what matters is the form during the world cup. Whichever country plays to their potential consistently, stands a chance to win the world cup. As it stands all the top 8 teams stand a chance to win the world cup. I hope the West Indies win. CWC is bringing the whole Caribbean together. There’s no Trinidad and Tobago, no Antigua, Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados or Dominica. It’s the first time that I’m seeing the Caribbean coming together as one.
Tony Ramjewan,
Maraval, Trinidad and Tobago

I’ve been travelling the Caribbean for more then 20 years and I’m here two weeks now for the CWC. And what I’ve seen so far in Trinidad it is so diverse in culture and so cosmopolitan, to me it is paradise.
The food is to die for!! I an supporting South Africa and the Caribbean.
Peter Drechsler
Frankfurt,
Germany

ICC CWC is here.
As a Caribbean, we cannot afford to fail. We should do everything as individuals to make it work and bring benefits to our different islands. For us in Grenada, it our coming out party after Ivan.
"We on the road again."
Arthur Hosten
Gouyave, Grenada

I know one thing definitely. England have no chance.
Del
Hackney, UK

I believe the West Indies will win the 2007 Cricket World Cup.
F.Francis
St.Maarten N.A

As a die hard West Indian fan, and cricket lover, I would dearly love the West Indies to win. And we can win, but our guys have to play as a team. It is "WEST INDIES TEAM" as a team we can take on the world, and WIN. I am looking forward to watching some good Cricket, and may the best team win. My only regret is that I cannot be in the Caribbean to see any live matches and that is pure torture, but I will "RALLY ROUND THE WEST INDIES"
Mary J
London, UK

Bring it on. The Windies is boss. We are the best forget about the rest.
Petra Hamilton
London, UK

We (West Indies) are the Champions..
Karl Teekaram
Fort Wayne Indiana, USA

The 2007 Cricket World Cup will be the “Carnival of Caribbean” integration, bringing our peoples and nations in one global village. The flare and glamour will truly brings the sprit of this wonderful game of cricket.
The West Indies on their home soil is a big boost for their confidence to play positive cricket and to move them forward into the super 8 and beyond.
Best of Luck to the WI team! We need the CUP.
Edmund Baksh
Roseau, Dominica

The Caribbean will be great hosts. To put on a great world cup and to complete a victory by the West Indies team would be the gravy . Go enjoy the people, food, sun and cricket lovely cricket. Go West Indies!
Avenash Ramzan
Georgetown, Guyana

West Indies are a force to be reckoned with at home, but the recent good form of a number of teams - New Zealand and England for example - and the poor returns of world champions Australia have left CWC 2007 a wide open one. Other teams such as Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India are more than capable of lifting the trophy. I wouldn't place a bet on who will emerge as winner, but what I can say for sure is that 'Cricket will be the winner in the end."
Rita Cargill
London

Why are there no matches in Trinidad in April? Does Barbados have a monopoly over the rest of the West Indian islands??
Tony Carr
Silver Spring,MD, USA

I believe the West Indies has a very good chance of winning this world cup. They just need to be consistent. They are as good as anyone so I am looking forward to celebrate with them at the finals

This time India have a great chance to win world cup 2007.
S Singh Negi
London, England

I hope that CWC goes off without a hitch. However I can foresee a major problem with transportation within the region.
As a frequent business traveller between St. Kitts, Antigua, St. Marten and the BVI, I am now having to chance trips due to the recent huge increases in fees.
Can anyone really believe LIAT won’t try to gouge every dollar out of the expected CWC crowds, and all the rest of us in the region?
The real pity is that they are really stifling the entire regions economic growth.
(Ed note. LIAT and Caribbean Star are being merged)
P Matthews
Roadtown, BVI

The Caribbean team and the Caribbean host nations will ‘bowl them over’ come March when the Cricket World Cup begins. The world will embrace the true Caribbean spirit and our team will rise to the occasion.
M Hutson
Georgetown, Guyana

I believe that Sri Lanka has a better chance of winning the CWC in the Caribbean.
A Kumarasinghe
Dubai, UAE

Certainly INDIA will win the 2007 Cricket World Cup
A Sathyan
THRIVANDRUM, INDIA

The Caribbean WILL bowl them over! It’s going to be the best tournament ever! We are such vibes people and now the rest of the world will know. We may not be a wealthy region but we have a tremendous warmth and spirit and love of the game that cricket fans all over the world can appreciate - Rally 'round the West Indies!
C Craig
Montego Bay, Jamaica

The CWC 2007 will undoubtedly place the Caribbean region on center stage in executing the best cricket world cup ever.
Unlike the reasoning of many, the building of the various stadiums and beautification in the various Islands is an investment and not an expense as many would lead people to think. In fact, the spin of this investment could very well be the "medicine that the doctor ordered" in the reviving of the Caribbean economies.
O Aljoe
St. Ann, Jamaica

We will be ready. Lots of planning has gone into it, and so far, the outlook is quite positive. Barbados for is ready for sure.
J Griffith
Barbados

We as a people can achieve anything once we put our collective minds to it. My hope is from this day forward we will put aside our differences, divisions and insularity and use the example of C.W.C to move our region forward. We should call the attention to the rest of the world that we can do it like them or even better than they can. May the best team win. Much love and respect to all those who made this dream come true to this point. To everybody keep it clean and safe and every thing will be alright.
B R Paul. aka Cheddo
GrandFond Village, Dominica

I think that this is a good thing for us. Provided there’s no rain, the people will turn out. I'm Vincentian and believe this will help showcase our Vincy hospitality, which in turn will help to promote tourism. I was at the very first World Cup final in England, that we won. The West Indies will need all our support. Not forgetting that we also have to support the other teams in order to make this tournament a huge success, because the world is watching how we handle a tournament of this size with nine different countries.
J Glasgow
Brooklyn, USA

I think most of the host countries are well prepared especially those where new stadiums are constructed. Thanks so much to the Chinese government. I just wished that my homeland was one of the host countries - but we are West Indians.
R Joseph
Gaullette River, Dominica

The marketing arm of the Vinci LOC is not doing enough to motivate Vincentians to attend the warm up matches. Cricket lovers need to be hyped up to attend the matches and see Australia - the World Champions. Too much emphasis on the West Indies, CWC is about global cricket, market it as such to Caribbean natives and it will be a financial success.
O Davis
St. Vincent

First, I think the Caribbean will do a very good job of running a very good World Cup. I am Jamaican and I have no fear that the Jamaican leg of the Cup will go well. We have done it before and will do a good job. What bothers me however, is all the darn restrictions that are being put in place. We do not watch cricket like the English – BORING! We are an exciting people and like to have fun while the game is in progress and never miss out on what is happening on the field. Finally, can the ordinary cricket lovers afford to go to the games? Remember, the ordinary people are the ones who support all the time and not the uptown people. We will do great in running the games. Shut up all you doubters.
T Carr
Silver Spring, MD, USA

CWC is a show on our shores without our participation in the economic benefits although our Governments have put a huge sum in building stadia etc. Our leaders ought to have been involved in negotiating the host agreement to ensure that locals partook of the economic benefits. For example the sophisticated rules of sponsorship have left out local micro and small businesses. Most local people will not be attending because they cannot afford to do so.
On the other hand, the governments - with the exception of Barbados and probably Jamaica - lost the opportunity of improving their infrastructure. Each of the hosting islands and territory should have new or improved airports, road system, sewerage system, hospital facilities etc. We did not think enough. It reminds me of the present state of our cricket!
R Francis
St John's, Antigua

I think the governments of the Caribbean have sold their people short. Not only that thousands will not be able to attend any of the games due to the high cost, but those who will be attending will not be able to do or take things to the games; such as their own food and drinks, nor will they be allowed to carry flags on sticks.
Considering we are the ones who will be asked to repay some of the loans been taken, there isn't much we'll will get from the games apart from the 9 grounds. And while that may be good in one sense, I would ask, can we afford all these, as already some of what we have are underused. I think there is a lot of talk about getting overseas people using them for winter training, but I would ask, what are they using now, or what will be offered so that they would leave their present grounds and come flying to ours?
In my opinion, the love of the ordinary people, plus our cooking and music are things that will save us from embarr***ment.
G Davis
Kingston, Jamaica