KEY POINTS:
West Indian cricket's biggest event will begin on Monday in Jamaica amid calypso sounds almost loud enough to drown out the tournament's logistical concerns.
A medley of calypso, reggae, dancehall and other musical genres is set to flood the Trelawny Stadium during the official opening of the Cricket World Cup 2007, an extravaganza featuring Caribbean dance sequences, fire-eaters and stilt-walkers playing cricket.
In front of a sold-out crowd - and, if the marketing types are to be believed, more than 1.5 billion television viewers - the three-hour-long opening ceremony will pay particular attention to the region's commitment to Carnival.
According to organisers, various scenes will depict characters such as revellers, a shaggy bear and plantation girls "playing mas", and reflect the merriment of the occasion.
Former West Indian all-rounder Sir Garfield Sobers - now 70 and acknowledged as one of the greatest players in the history of the game - will officially open the tournament.
The celebration of cricket and all things West Indian is expected to provide a welcome break from the concerns over the region's ability to cope with the logistical demands and, in particular, the staging of a tournament across nine separate sovereign territories.
Already, the Pakistan and South African teams have been forced to flee their hotel in Port of Spain because of a gas leak, the Australian and English cricketers were startled by a light-plane crash near their practice ground at Gros Islet, and Trinidad police are threatening to go on strike over a pay dispute.
The somewhat ominous message from the International Cricket Council's chief executive Malcolm Speed is: "Don't be surprised if there are issues; there are always issues.
"In any event such as this, where you're playing a major world event across nine countries, there will be problems with logistics," he said.
The previous tournament in South Africa was soured by New Zealand and England refusing to play in Kenya and Zimbabwe, respectively, a decision that led to the early elimination of both teams and the spectacle of Kenya qualifying for the semifinals.
And the 1996 event was similarly affected after Australia and West Indies refused to play in Sri Lanka.
But this year's tournament appears to be free of any major security issues and is also shaping as one of the most open World Cup races since the event started in 1975.
Australia, runaway favourites until they stumbled at the end of the summer and suffered five consecutive losses, have lost their aura of invincibility; new No 1 seeds South Africa have a habit of messing up; and all the subcontinental teams are vulnerable away from home.
The West Indies have the home-ground advantage but an awful record over the past few years. New Zealand's inconsistency was highlighted during their loss to Bangladesh in a warm-up match.
And England are at present ranked seventh out of the eight major nations.
* The World Cup opening ceremony will screen live on Sky Sport 1 from midday on Monday. The opening game between the West Indies and Pakistan will screen live on Sky Sport 1 from 3.35am on Wednesday.
