Barbadians have expressed admiration for the extensive renovations completed at Kensington Oval in preparation for the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup, which commenced in the Caribbean and the United States last Saturday.
The iconic cricket ground underwent a multimillion-dollar upgrade, and Prime Minister Mia Mottley invited Barbadians to tour the facility during an open day this past Wednesday, allowing them to view the improvements firsthand.
Damian Gaskin, chairman of Kensington Oval Management Inc., the company responsible for managing the historic venue where the World Cup final will be held on June 29, was impressed by the overwhelming response from Barbadians who participated in the guided tours.
“We did not know what to expect,” Gaskin told reporters. “The prime minister said she wanted one and all to come out, and she set a time and a range, and we prepared.
“We met over the [past] weekend to prepare for whatever crowd showed up, and we had a number of tour guides in place, and we had volunteers, police, and security. We were hoping to have a good turnout, and from the time [we opened], there was a line outside.
Host nine matches
“We had a little cleaning up to finish up, but we opened the gates promptly, and a few hundred people came, and the tours began.”
Kensington Oval will host nine matches, including a highly anticipated contest between old rivals, England and Australia, on June 8. Gaskin anticipates bumper crowds for the matches in Barbados and assured that all systems are in place to accommodate them.
“If early indications are anything, people are excited to come and see the matches,” he said. “We feel great about the work that we have done to create an exciting atmosphere, we are happy to show it off, and we look forward to hosting the matches.”
The first match at Kensington Oval was on Sunday when Namibia defeated Oman in a night-time contest.
