Barbados T20 World Cup Aims to Spark Cricket Resurgence, Government Emphasizes Legacy Benefits

The Mia Mottley-led government has identified the “resurgence of cricket in Barbados” as the number one legacy benefit to be derived from the country’s hosting of the T20 World Cup in June.

Contending that much of Barbados’ national development over the years has been underpinned by cricket, chairman of the National Organising Committee (NOC), Ambassador Noel Lynch told a media conference on Monday that government’s goal was to ensure the June 1-29 showpiece captured and further advanced this heritage.

Kensington Oval is poised to host nine games – five group stage fixtures, three Super Eight second stage matches and the grand final.

“The legacy of this World Cup will involve a number of variables in a very complex equation but one thing that is important, is you can benefit from the World Cup in tourism and hospitality, investment, infrastructure security, administration, technology – you can benefit from it,” said Lynch.

“But what must be the greatest legacy of this World Cup in our opinion – in Mia Mottley and her cabinet’s opinion – is there must be a resurgence of cricket in Barbados. That must be the legacy of this World Cup.”

He continued: “The socio-cultural development of Barbados was based on cricket – cricket is at the core of everything that we do and everything that we’ve ever excelled in in this country and that’s why Mia Mottley in her wisdom said there must be a resurgence of cricket.

“Cricket was the basis and the cradle for ensuring that we had other greats in other parts of our development … therefore you will see faces and images of people that are greats from Barbados in other areas of development.

“But understand that cricket is at the core of our national development and that’s why we’re using this platform in order to raise them up.”

As such, Lynch said at the centre of the NOC’s programme during the T20 World Cup would be the promoting of former West Indies players through a ‘Greatness Campaign’, which would also involve prominent figures from other areas of development.

Any resurgence of cricket, Lynch argued, needed the involvement of these “legends and icons of cricket” who through their achievements had established a template of excellence for the country.

“We are staring down the barrel of a gun in relation to how our people see cricket, particularly our young people,” said Lynch, who until earlier this year served as Barbados’ Ambassador to the United States and Organisation of American States (OAS).