No plans to shift Jamaica leg of India tour: Organising Committee

Jamaica, Apr 14 (UNI) The Local Organising Committee (LOC) for next year's World Cup here has assured that the Jamaican leg of the India's tour of West Indies will go as per the schedule despite concerns being raised over the slow renovation work at the Sabina Park stadium.

Quoting Executive Director of the committee Robert Bryan, the ''Jamaica Observer reported that the proposal put forth by the construction company ASHTROM -- an Israeli-Jamaican firm responsible for renovating the stadium -- to postpone or shift the ODIs, scheduled for May 18 and 20, has been rejected.

''Based on a firm commitment from ASHTROM to the Board it was agreed that the matches of the India tour would be played at Sabina Park with the clear commitment that this will not affect the completion of the project as scheduled,'' Mr Bryan said.

The company had requested for an extension of the deadline for completing its work from the current October 31 to February next year and a raise in the budget allocated for the work but the organising committee refused to give the extra time, saying that the construction should be finished by November latest and within the 29 million dollars granted for it.

The committee plans to host a Test match between June 30 and July 4, in addtion to the ODIs against India, to prepare for the next year's World Cup during which the stadium would play host to seven matches, including the tournament opener.

Mr Bryan said ASHTROM was ''Advised that any failure on their part to deliver in accordance with the schedule would constitute grounds for the immediate application of liquidated damages.'' The LOC director warned that the company's contract might be terminated in case it failed to comply with the it.

''The Board would simultaneously pursue the exploration of alternative options to complete this project to the extent that this became necessary,'' Mr Bryan said.

ASHTROM had attributed the delay to a shortage of cement but the reasoning was rejected by the committee.

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