WICB Exec says regional body had to resist staging of Beyonce concert

Chief Executive Officer of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), Ernest Hilaire said the regional body had no choice but to resist the staging of a concert by music megastar Beyonce at the Queen’s Park Oval next month.



The Queen’s Park Cricket Club, the owners of the Queen’s Park Oval, made a request to the WICB to delay the start of a regional four-day match between T&T and Windward Islands from February 19-20 to facilitate the staging of the concert.



Hilaire said the Queen’s Park Oval could have lost matches if it staged Beyonce’s concert.



Hilaire said the WICB’s greatest concern about the staging of the concert is that the Queen’s Park Oval is scheduled to stage a 20/20 international between West Indies and Zimbabwe on February 8.



A release from the WICB said after the experience of the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, where the entire region was embarrassed and subjected to a penalty from the International Cricket Council, the regional body will not expose itself to any potential embarrassment and chastisement.



The second Test between West Indies and England last year at Antigua was abandoned after ten balls because of an overly sandy outfield.



As a result of the Test match being abandoned, the sport’s World governing body suspended the ground from staging international matches for 12 months. The WICB was also given an official warning.