Room 181 in the Wildey Gymnasium of the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex was officially opened as the WIPA office yesterday by Prime Minister Owen Arthur.

The Government provided the accommodation but Arthur said it would not finish there.

His administration was ``willing to provide such assistance as would enable this office to effectively discharge its responsibility as the guardian of the welfare of the West Indies cricketers''.

The Prime Minister also pledged to work toward ensuring that cricket retained its central, driving position in the life of West Indian people.

Sense of pride

``In the modern history of the Caribbean no institution has evoked a greater sense of pride and no group of persons have given greater pleasure than the West Indies cricket team.''

Arthur said that although Barbados was no longer the physical home of West Indies cricket, there was a special sense in which the island would always regard itself as the spiritual home of the game in the West Indies.

President of the Barbados Cricket Association, Tony Marshall, said that it was fitting for the association's office to be in an establishment that bears the name of one of the greatest cricketers of all time.

Marshall also asked the association to consider including among its membership First Division players throughout the region. It now caters to regional first-class players.

West Indies Cricket Board president Pat Rousseau noted that the WICB had allocated US$50 000 a year to the association over an initial three-year period.

Once the association did a good job the WICB would continue the grant, he said.

President of the association Courtney Walsh called for all the players and the island boards to assist them in their venture and thanked everyone for their support so far.