Sunday 11th March 2007
Clarence Hiles reports from the Caribbean...
On the 40th anniversary of the death of the great Sir Frank Worrell, the ‘Prince’ of Caribbean cricket Brian Lara will lead the West Indies team onto today and the official action will begin. Sir Frank would have been immensely proud of his legacy and although his contribution to West Indies cricket was immense in his time, it was only a small step towards this tournament, which will showcase the region not only in cricket terms, but also as a united region, a beautiful region and a progressive region.
These were high on the agenda of a remarkable visionary leader who would surely have also been a strong political force had he not succumbed to death at the tender age of 42.
And while Ireland will look for good performances and perhaps a surprise mishap at the hands of more formidable opponents, the burden of expectation rests heavily on the Prince and his troops.
In a region where cricket is King, that is an awesome responsibility to deliver.
