Teams arrive for World Cup by AFP

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Event:

ICC World Cup 2006/07

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DateLine: 25th February 2007

 

Following the arrival of Bangladesh, Canada, and Bermuda during the last week, the remainder of the teams for the 2007 World Cup 2007 are expected to touch down in the Caribbean in the next few days.

 

Scotland, one of the six ICC Associate sides taking part in the competition, will get the ball rolling on Monday, when they arrive in Barbados, where they will play warm-up matches.

 

"I would have to say that everything is ready," said Michael Hall, the tournament's cricket operations director.

 

"Obviously, as you would expect, there are a number of issues that crop up from time to time.

 

"Certainly one of them that has cropped up is the change of a squad member with respect to Australia, but we work around these issues, and we are very confident that when these teams do get to the Caribbean, the experience that they have is going to be a pleasant and excellent one for them."

 

Fast bowler Brett Lee withdrew from the 15-member squad of world champions Australia with an ankle injury and has been replaced by medium-pace bowler Stuart Clark.

 

Adam Gilchrist also announced on Saturday that he would now be available for the Aussies' first match of the competition, following the birth of his third child."

 

As far as I am concerned, the World Cup, in some respects, began last week when Bermuda arrived in Antigua," Hall added.

 

"But certainly from a cricket operations perspective, the World Cup does begin in earnest the minute the teams begin to touch down in the Caribbean as most of them will do towards the latter end of next week."

 

Thursday is a huge day for arrivals, when nine teams, including Ricky Ponting's Australia, touches down in the Caribbean.

 

The other sides arriving on that day will be Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, The Netherlands, India, Kenya, South Africa, and Ireland.

 

England and Pakistan arrive on Friday to complete the list.

 

The official warm-up programme will be contested from March 5 to 9 before the competition officially opens on March 11 at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium in Jamaica.

 

Hosts West Indies face Pakistan in the opening match on March 13 in Jamaica.

(Article: Copyright © 2007 AFP)