Cricket World Cup Dry Run and Training Sessions.

Having been selected as a volunteer for the CWC 2007 World Cup, I was asked to be involved in a 'dry run' during the Trinidad vs Guyana match held last Wednesday. (we won btw).

We had to report to the Queen's Park Oval on Tuesday evening for a briefing. While waiting to be briefed, I decided to take some pics with my camera phone. (Hence the low resoution of the pics).

So these are the pics from Tuesday evening.

View of the field from the CARIB Stand (to be called the ELizabeth St. Stand)

View of the QPCC Members Pavillion from the CARIB Stand (The pavillion will host the VIP's)

(From the right) Trini Possee under construction, RBL/CLICO Stand (name to be changed as well) and Gerry Gomez Media Centre

BG/Scotiabank Stand (will be called the Lindsay Grant stand during the World Cup)

One the Wednesday of the game (WAIT! Did I mention that we had to get to the Oval for 6:00? Yes. 6 in the MORNING!! Anyhoo...I digress) I was assigned to VIP/Protocol area (the area I'm hoping to stay in for the CWC, either that or Admin.)

Now doh study how VIP/Protocol sounds all nice and important and rubbing shoulders with the "who's who" in society. (I assume this is the reason why nearly every Tom, Dick and Chin Lee put dey name down for this area.)

It wasn't.

I had umbrella duty. And it isn't as bad as it sounds, we simply had to escort those people who arrived on the buses in case it was raining at the time (and it wasn't, so piece of cake). Thing is though, when people heard umbreall duty nobody volunteered except moi. It ended up being me and a next guy.

One that day in particular, we were dealing with the people who the ICC invited and it was more in the capacity of Hopitality rather than VIP. For the CWC however, it'll be Head's of state, ICC people, the whole nine yards.

Pictures taken during the match on Wednesday (same camera phone)

Crowd in the CARIB Stand (2nd level)

Crowd in the CARIB Stand (1st level)

View of our boys fielding from one of the corporate boxes.

Same place, next shot

The view from the corporate box was SWEET !!

==============

Saturday 20th January 2007 & Sunday 21st January 2007: Training Days

9:00 am to 4:00pm

Saturday's training didn't start off too well.

We were supposed to report to the Elizabeth St. entrance and when we got there were told it wasn't there and we had to walk the length of the Oval and around the corner. Got there, checked to see if your name was on the list and signed in.

Went to the CLICO box to get an overview of what the training would entail. We were then split into groups and sent to trek to another part of the Oval, to one of the boxes for training. (My group had to go back to the main area because the rooms weren't ready/ac wasn't working/too small)

Point to note (and I told them this) no housekeeping was done. i.e no one told us where the exits were in case of an emergency, the restroom locations, what time lunch and breaks would be etc.

We finally settled in. (still no talk of breakfast or when lunch is eh, thank God ah had meh fruit to chomp on)

Things did start to improve though as we got some very nice binders with our training info.

The training covered everything from who is the ICC, WICB, the event sponsors (MOST important), mascot, format of the games and so on.

It also included information on Working as a Team, Risk and Safety, Service Excellence and basics on cricket.

They covered EVERYTHING.

And if you weren't excited before aobut being a volunteer I think it gave you that excitement.

And without revealing too much of what is planned, I can guaranteee that anyone attending the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 will have a SPECTACULAR, SPECTATOR EXPERIENCE!