Prospect of USA involvement in 2007 World Cup

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is examining the possibility of America hosting some games during the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

West Indies will be the official host of the 2007 World Cup, but nine members of the ICC Development Committee and seven delegates from the USA Cricket Association, including the president Atul Rai, have been meeting over the past couple of days to discuss the potential growth of cricket in the United States.

"The ICC has been looking at the option of fast-tracking cricket development in the USA and this includes the possibility of some 2007 World Cup games being played in the US," said Andrew Eade, the ICC's Global Development Manager. "The ICC believes cricket has a lot of potential in the US. It has about 8,000 playing the game."

The ICC Executive, which has 13 members, will meet at Lord's on June 20 to digest the trip. The ICC is anxious to develop cricket in the US and is prepared to help provide coaches and inject funds to improve facilities and venues.

Zamin Amin, the former US captain, was excited at the prospect of his country hosting some 2007 World Cup games. "It will be a good start because cricket has been stagnant here for a while," said Zamin. "If the ICC injects something into cricket here then it will be good for the game. I would say there is a big market here because there are so many people from cricket playing countries who are interested in the game."

"It will be good for cricket in America if the ICC gets involved," added Sew Shivnaraine, another former US captain, coach and manager, who played in eight Tests for West Indies in the 1970s. "It will improve the administration, facilities and venues. It definitely will be a shot in the arm for cricket if World Cup games are played here."

Shivnaraine, who moved to New York in 1981, said American cricket badly needs a professional administrator to run the game properly.