Government yesterday pledged to inject an astounding $11 million into Bermuda cricket in an effort to build on the momentum created by the Island?s qualification for the World Cup.

The five-year investment, announced in a gung-ho ultra-positive Press conference at Cabinet, will help fund the ambitious programme of international matches for Gus Logie?s team, as well domestic infrastrucutre, upgrading school and club facilities and a youth development programme.

The investment, which will see $3 million ploughed into the sport in the final 12 months before the World Cup, is separate from the one million dollars already pledged for next year?s 20/20 World Cricket Classic and any improvements to the National Sports Centre, revealed Premier Alex Scott.

Scott, wearing a Bermuda cricket baseball cap throughout, also announced that all cricket players employed by Government, of which there are three or four in the national team, will be allowed to take paid representative leave during all of the competitive trips ? which are likely to take up at least eight weeks a year.

?You cannot buy inspiration,? said Scott, with coach Logie, Bermuda Cricket Board chief executive Neil Speight as well as Clay Smith, Dwayne (Sluggo) Leverock and Irving Romaine lined up behind him for the cameras.

?But you can support those who provide inspiration. Bermuda is the smallest country to qualify for the 2007 World Cup and we are very, very proud of our team, our coach and all of the administrative personnel.

?It is a new era for cricket in Bermuda and the Government will do all it can to ensure that we are on the world cricketing stage for many, many years. Your success is our success and as a community, we will rally around you, support you, applaud you, pray for you and welcome you home after you have done the best that you could do to represent yourselves, your administrators and your country.

?This is a watershed for cricket and I want to see that spill over into football and spill over into track and spill over into all other sports.?

Sports Minister Dale Butler outlined details of the investment, provided after the Bermuda Cricket Board had submitted a plan of their needs to properly prepare Logie?s men for the challenges and responsibilities of preparing for a World Cup campaign.

He revealed that the $11 million would be handed out over the five years with $1.9 million in the first year, $3 million in the second ? World Cup ? year, followed by $2.1 million and then two years of $2 million in funding.

But he also promised that the money would not just be spent financing the national team?s trips all over the world in the coming years, adding that ?we look forward to seeing new goals and opportunities created for up and coming Bermuda cricketers of the future?.

?Government is fully committed to assisting our Bermuda national cricket team as they prepare for international competition on the world stage,? said Butler, who once again dubbed Logie?s men the North Rock Warriors.

?In this regard, it gives me great pleasure to announce that Government has agreed to commit $11 million for the future development of Bermuda cricket.

?The money will be presented to the Bermuda Cricket Board to assist our national team with their preparations first, for the ICC World Cup 2007, for the further development of our domestic cricket infrastructure, and also to qualify for the World Cup in 2011.

?Government has reviewed the Bermuda Cricket Board?s four-year plan for preparing our national cricket team for international competition and we are pleased to endorse the BCB?s plan.?

He then outlined the investment areas including:

Five major initiatives from year-round cricket training and major competitions for the national team;

An Island-wide infrastructure upgrade of clubs and school facilities;

A four-year youth development plan;

Strengthening the BCB administration; and

Instituting a legacy cricket endowment fund.

Needless to say, the Board were desperate to show how grateful they were with BCB president Reggie Pearman leading the vote of thanks.

?We appreciate all the support we get from Government,? said Pearman, looking as happy as he did the day Bermuda qualified for the World Cup.

?We?re pleased, excited and humbled at the Government?s contribution to the cricket programme. We are delighted that they have bought into our plans to make Bermuda as competitive as possible for the World Cup in 2007 and beyond.?

Pearman then went on to thank Logie for his work as well as praising stalwarts such as Wendell Smith and even former coach Mark Harper for laying some of the foundations for Bermuda?s summer of cricket success.

The BCB have long been working behind the scenes to try and put together a four-year plan that would allow Bermuda to take full advantage of the new One-Day International first-class status gained when they secured fourth place in the ICC Trophy in Ireland to book a place at the World Cup in the West Indies in 2007.

Many proposed tours or tournaments were prefixed with ?subject to finances? by Board officials when announcing the tentative ? but comprehensive and ambitious ? calendar of events but the new funding will now allow Logie to give his team all the practice they need as they build up towards their participation in the greatest spectacle in international cricket.

And Logie felt compelled to take the microphone and thank Government for their generosity.

?I am very grateful for this support,? said Logie, who has earned enormous praise for his role in helping Bermuda to both World Cup qualification and the ICC Intercontinental Cup final.

?I?m absolutely hooked on Bermuda cricket and I would like to praise the dedication of these young men who have done so much on the cricket field.?