Griffith expressed the drive of the govenring body to succeed at the signing ceremony for the host agreement formally establishing the partnership between the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the WICB, which makes the WICB the official hosts of the ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2007.
He stated: "We have moved from symbolism to reality. Now is the time for performance and delivery and that is all that really matters henceforth.
"The Cricket World Cup in the West Indies goes way beyond cricket. It's about travel and tourism, it's about entrepreneurship, it's about cultural development, regional integration and a lot more."
To this end the WICB has had 'extensive dialogue' with the tourism industry, with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) setting up a task force on the World Cup. The WICB has also started discussions with the business community around the region.
International Cricket Council (ICC) chief cxecutive Malcolm Speed added that the West Indies were chosen as the hosts of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 because they had 'earned the right to run the event'.
Commented Speed: "World cricket is looking forward to this event, there are many people around the world who are planning now to come to the Caribbean in 2007. It will be a great event. The ICC has a great deal of faith in the cricket administrators, cricket supporters, governments throughout the West Indies to run this event in 2007.
"We've got a great deal of faith that in partnership with the other cricketing countries, with ICC, that in 2007 you'll put on a world class event that will have a unique Caribbean flavour."
While noting that an ICC Cricket World Cup in the West Indies "will be different, unique, and run across a number of islands ... seven or eight” Speed acknowledged that there would be some logistical difficulties.
"There were easier places that the ICC could have chosen to run this World Cup. We haven't chosen those options, we have chosen the West Indies because ... you've earned the right to run this event."
Teddy Griffith, president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), has reiterated that the governing body is approaching the hosting of the 2007 Cricket World Cup with 'the utmost seriousness and resolve'.
