Controversy surrounds England playing India in Guyana, with heavy rain and burglaries 'rife' at hotels - but India were guaranteed the location in advanceThe logistical chaos surrounding the semi-finals has already left the International Cricket Council, organisers of the tournament, open to accusations that the sporting integrity of the whole event has been brought into question.
The decision to guarantee India the Guyana semi-final weeks in advance because it was allocated the 10.30am local start time – evening prime-time for TV audiences on the sub-continent – has also drawn much ire and added to the organisational difficulties. But why both semi-finals were not scheduled for that 10.30am slot – the Trinidad match starts at 8.30pm in the Caribbean – is not clear.
Guyana, sharing a border with Suriname to the east and Venezuela to the west on mainland South America, typically has 23 days of rain in June. Average rainfall for the month is 348 millimetres. By comparison, June in London typically sees 60mm of rain. In Manchester, it is 96mm. Choosing a semi-final venue with limited hotel capacity and flight options from other Caribbean islands is also a huge issue., radio rights holders for the tournament, being forced to cover the match off the TV from Barbados.
Staying outside of the main international hotels was also not an option given the security issues in Georgetown, with the Foreign Office warning: “There are frequent armed robberies, hold-ups, carjackings and other violent crimes, often involving two or more attackers. Passers-by can get caught up in gunfire even if they are not targets because police are armed and shoot back.”