BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC) – Cricket West Indies (CWI) president, Ricky Skerritt, has praised the investment by regional governments in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Under-19 World Cup, in the face of challenges posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.Four Caribbean nations – Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana, St Kitts & Nevis and Trinidad & Tobago – will host the tournament which will run from January 14 to February 5, 2022, and will involve 16 countries.

Speaking at the host venue announcement here recently, Skerritt said the investment in the global showpiece would trigger returns in several sectors for the host nations.

“I understand how hard it has been … and I want to say thank you for pushing because it’s not always easy, in the midst of so many other priorities, for governments to understand why you would invest thousands of dollars into cricket,” Skerritt said.

“You are doing it because it’s good investment. It’s been proved, over and over again, that the return on investment is excellent. It’s good for tourism. It’s good for youth development and it’s good for the economy.”

The pandemic, which brought a worldwide halt to sport last year also resulted in a global economic downturn, the impact of which has also been felt across the region.

Protracted government-enforced lockdowns have meant a decline in government revenues, forcing authorities to redirect spending.
Jonel Powell, St Kitts and Nevis’ Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture, endorsed the move by government to support the tournament.

“The investments in our facilities (and) in our people … ensure we maximise on the opportunities for our young developing cricketers, the opportunities for all the service providers that are required to host these events, and for us to be able to showcase St Kitts as a true sport-tourism destination,” he pointed out.

Chairman of T&T’s Local Organising Committee, Douglas Camacho, said the returns for the country far outweighed the investment made by Trinidad’s government.

“Many of our industries will benefit from this opportunity from hotel arrangements, transportation, the exchange of goods and services that will help build our economy,” he said, speaking on behalf of T&T’s Minister of Sport, Shamfa Cudjoe.

“While we would have invested an estimated US$1.8 million, the return is much greater as we anticipate that this will bring an estimated US$10 million injected back into our economy.”

The tournament, featuring 48 matches, is being staged in the Caribbean for the first time in its history, and follows on from the ICC Women’s Twenty20 World Cup which was hosted in the region three years ago.

West Indies, the 2016 champions, open their campaign on January 14 against Australia at the Guyana National Stadium.