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| Chris Dehring |
Cricket World Cup boss Chris Dehring has issued a New Year message urging the Caribbean people to get behind the tournament to ensure its success.
The ICC World Cup begins in just over two months and it is the first time it has been staged in the region.
"Everyone needs to ask themselves 'What will my contribution be to this Cricket World Cup? How am I going to impact the event?'" said Dehring. "None of us can sit back and relax - especially not now."
Dehring, the managing director and chief executive of the tournament organising committee, wants to make it the "best Cricket World Cup ever".
And he believes every country in the Caribbean has a part to play, not just those which will be staging matches.
"There's a lot at stake for this entire archipelago... and the experiences of visitors in the host venues - and for that matter in other Caribbean nations which they travel to during tournament time - will be paramount to how our delivery of this event is viewed internationally.
"Remember, only a fraction of the time that fans are in our homelands will be spent at matches. How they are greeted and treated beyond stadia environs is as, if not more, important," he said.
"This is a priceless opportunity to stamp the Caribbean's world-class ability, determination and style indelibly on the global landscape and we must not waste it."
A total of 16 teams will take part in the tournament, with four groups of four in the first round.
The top two from each will progress to the Super 8s phase, which is followed by the semi-finals and final - to be played in Barbados on April 28.
