Former Bermuda Cricket Board president El James yesterday slammed Government for what he believed was their lack of support of the Island's current bid to host a World Cup match in 2007.

James, a former PLP MP, said Government officials should have been present at last month's two-day summit held in St.Lucia to further enhance Bermuda's chance of staging a World Cup match on local soil.

Only BCB president Reggie Pearman and secretary Charlotte Simons travelled to the summit - attended by 170 delegates from 13 countries - on Bermuda's behalf.

James said this was totally unacceptable.

"I would be very shocked if on such a representation we would be awarded a match. Every country sent a serious delegation except Bermuda! Bermuda sent only the president (Pearman) and the secretary of the Board (Simons).

"That's like a country who wants to host the Olympics sending their Track and Field Association to represent them. I think there should've been representation from Government and I understand that it was turned down and deemed unnecessary," he said.

"I feel Government should've been there for representation to show the country and those down in the West Indies that we are serious. This is a national sport. Cricket was not going down there to get this on the behalf of cricket. Cricket was going down there on the behalf of Bermuda. We were trying to get this World Cup match for Bermuda."

James complained that Government's apparent lack of interest to host a World Cup match was sending the wrong message to the cricketing world.

"I just think this was an opportunity to send a message to the cricket world that Bermuda was serious and if we had a full representation - even if we didn't get it - it would've sent a message to the cricketing world anyway that Bermuda is serious about its cricket and its national sport.

"It would've boded well for us in the future in so many other ways. But I'm afraid that we sent a very frail and weak message to the cricketing world by just sending the president and the secretary down there. I know that they tried their best but there's no way, I don't care how good their presentation was, there's no way I feel they can convince the authorities down there that Bermuda is serious without the apparent support of the country.

"It just doesn't appear as though we are serious about cricket or hosting a World Cup match here."

He continued: "This was a Bermudian venture, not a cricket venture. I don't think we looked very good down there with the representation that we had.

"And it's very sad to say but I don't think we will get it or even be given a thought because when you have a country coming with 17 representatives and another with 13 and Bermuda comes down with two Board representatives . . . would you give it to them?

"This was the final hour. This was supposed to be when you make your final presentation and take everybody along with you in order to make an impression. But I think we failed and now all may have gone down the drain."

Meanwhile, Pearman himself yesterday called on Government's support.

"Government will have to become involved along with local organisations and everything else. The Bermuda Cricket Board can't do it all by themselves," he said.

"Government has got to get involved and we are talking about it from a tourism aspect, police security and everything else, if they are going to award you a game. Ninety percent of the games will be held in the Caribbean so that leaves ten percent to be divided up between Canada, Cayman Island and the United States."

Pearman said the actual World Cup bidding process had yet to begin and further revealed last month's seminars were specifically geared towards outlining the "criteria" and "requirements" all potential host nations would have to reach before submitting their individual bids.