The UBP has called on Government to shift the cost of the cricket 2007 World Cup bid from Sport to Tourism.

With the Opposition likening the move to a $200,000 "lottery ticket", Shadow Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety Minister Maxwell Burgess said: "Let's move that to Tourism and give a more accurate picture of what's going on here.

"What we are really hoping for is a couple of million people (watching on TV) saying hey, I know now where that place is."

Government has brought out the big guns in their effort to secure the bid for the World Cup by hiring a consulting firm which has previously bid on events as prestigious as the Olympics.

"If this is a fishing expedition, we want to land the big one," acting Sports Minister Terry Lister told members of the House of Assembly yesterday.

The total cost of hosting the World Cup is a developing cost, Mr. Lister said, with $200,000 allocated toward the bid so far. Stating he did not wish to pre-empt Sports Minister Dale Butler on the subject, he added: "The impact for Bermuda (if the bid is won) would be incredible," both in terms of developing the sport on the Island and other benefits.

Bermuda's rivals in the race are the Bahamas and the United States.

Though Government has every faith in Mr. Butler and the Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB), Mr. Lister said Government was taking no chances, a precaution which resulted in the hiring of the consulting firm for advice.

The firm has consulted on bidding for events such as the Atlanta Olympics, previous World Cups and this year's Olympics in Athens, Mr. Lister said. At a presentation to Cabinet, they "impressed every last one of us".

"We hope - we believe - we're at the front of the line now."

Though he did not have the exact cost of hiring the firm, he said that cost was currently falling in the extra $200,000.

However that cost should be absorbed by Tourism, not Sport, Mr. Burgess said. Government was giving the BCB $160,000, he said, and then giving $200,000 towards the bid which may not succeed. If the aim was truly to improve the Island's cricket, he said, that $200,000 would also be going to the BCB.

"The Minister has been as forthright as he can be in this matter," he said. However, while the event may inspire young people in Bermuda to become more involved in the cricket world, the World Cup was more about "advertising".

Though Tourism has relinquished responsibility for many sporting and cultural events, he said, "she (Tourism Minster Renee Webb) said she would be hanging on to some. I think this should be one of them."

Though Government MPs were nodding their heads during Mr. Burgess's speech, backbencher Glenn Blakeney rose to give a passionate speech berating Mr. Burgess for his comments, and insisting Government was bidding for the World Cup to reinvigorate the sport of cricket in Bermuda, particularly for Bermuda's youth.