ROBERT Bryan, executive director for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 Local Organising Committee (LOC) in Jamaica, says more could be done to attract Jamaicans from the Diaspora to Cricket World Cup matches.

“I think that we are underestimating the number of Jamaicans from the Diaspora that has returned for this event,” Bryan told yesterday’s luncheon meeting of the Rotary Club of Downtown Kingston at the Hilton Hotel.

But he said Jamaica could have done far more to build the homecoming for an event like Cricket World Cup. “I certainly saw great potential in targeting Jamaicans living abroad who would have come home for the event,” said Bryan.

At the same time, Bryan said now that the country has proven that it is able to host an event like the Cricket World Cup, it was time for the government to plan how it would move on in the marketing of Sabina Park nd the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium.

“I think the demonstration that we can in fact host major events and put them on at world-class standards should build confidence. And I think that the experience should allow Jamaicans to take a different perspective towards how we approach this,” said Bryan.

Regarding the opening ceremony, warm-up matches and first-round matches hosted by Jamaica, Bryan said all events started on time and there were no incidents of a security nature “or any other nature that would cause concern to the matches.

“I can truly say to you that there have been no issue of consequence that we can talk about,” he said. “All the reports that have come suggest that the hosting activities as was planned has been done within what was expected and that importantly people feel good about it.”