With the first ball expected to be bowled in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in just under two months, word is that construction is slightly behind schedule at the Arnos Vale Cricket Ground.
According to Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, one of the matters that he was concerned about was the platforms on which the lights are to be erected on.
While addressing the issue on radio recently, Gonsalves explained that six platforms are to be constructed, on which another structure is to be constructed on to the foundation for the lights to be put in place.
“They are behind with those foundations and the building of that structure,” Gonsalves said.
“They tell me those will take about two weeks to be built, and they are well designed,” he continued.
One of the issues, he said, was the difficulty involved in finding contractors to construct the six structures.
“Everybody is so busy,” he said.
They however were able to award Sadoo Construction, out of St Lucia and Hutchinson Construction to do the work, according to the prime minister.
But while the work was a little behind schedule, Gonsalves said that he had been assured that the facility will be ready in time for the warm-up games of which St Vincent and the Grenadines are expected to host five matches – June 13, 14 and 16 – the other two matches will be second-round matches and will be played on June 22 and 24.
The prime minister visited the site last week, and according to him he was hoping to see more workmen on the ground working on the light structures.
He however said that he was told that some assessors from the International Cricket Council (ICC) visited the site recently and that it had been reported to him that they were confident that the work will be completed.
But he said that he wanted to make sure and had arranged for a meeting with all involved in the project, including the two contractors, that meeting was expected to be held on April 11.
In addition, Gonsalves said that they may have to spend another EC$6 or $7 million added to the EC$3 million already authorized to be spent on the project.
This was because of the change of the scope of the work involved and the increased cost of certain items.
The electronic scoreboard was said to have already arrived, however there was a delay in the arrival of the lights.
Gonsalves explained earlier that the situation as it existed at the Red Sea, with the attack on cargo ships by militant groups because of the Israel-Gaza conflict meant that ships had to seek alternative and lengthy routes.
The lights, he said then had been procured from a company in China.