World Cup boost

PORT-OF-SPAIN - Hours before a row developed between West Indies players and their bosses on Tuesday, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) revealed it had secured sponsorship for the team for the forthcoming World Cup.

The WICB announced in the morning that the LNM Group will be the official sponsor of the West Indies team to the World Cup 2003 in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya.

The announcement was made yesterday at a news conference at the Trinidad Hilton.

The LNM Group is the second largest steel producer in the world and its steel-making operations in countries make it the world's most global steel producer with a high degree of product and geographic diversification.

"With this sponsorship, LNM is giving the West Indies cricket team a major boost of confidence ahead of the 2003 World Cup," remarked Lakshmi N. Mittal, chairman and chief executive officer of the LNM Group.

"We expect great things from the team and look forward to them personifying some of the qualities that the LNM Group truly admire like commitment, courage and boldness."

WICB president Reverend Wes Hall welcomed the LNM Group on board and said that financial support for West Indies cricket from the private sector was always greatly appreciated.

"I would like to express our sincere appreciation for this commitment by the LNM Group to our West Indies team because this stands as an example for all those who care about West Indies cricket," Hall said.

"I have spent a few days with the team at their training camp in Antigua and I can tell you they are determined to make a big impression at the Cricket World Cup 2003 and the LNM Group will help to make sure that the dreams of these young men become a reality."

The LNM Group, through the Trinidad & Tobago-based Caribbean Ispat, one of LNM's global operations previously sponsored the West Indies team when they visited India for a series of Tests and One-Day Internationals almost a decade ago.

During the Cricket World Cup 2003, the West Indies team will participate in promotional activities and display the LNM Group logo on their competition uniforms.

On Monday, the WICB announced that Carib Beer had areached a five-year agreement to become the title sponsor of the West Indies four-day first-class championship.