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The Australians are here, the West Indies captain has been appointed and tomorrow our team will be announced for the First Cable and Wireless Test Match at the Queen's Park Oval, Trinidad.

The Board has taken measures to ``put our house in order'' and has backed this up with full support to the captain, management and team.

This will go beyond making decisions from afar. In fact, on this occasion there has been an unprecedented level of discussion with various parties at board level.

Brian Lara, Clive Lloyd and Malcolm Marshall have all affirmed their commitment to do whatever is required for a significantly improved performance in this series.

On the weekend, a team of CEO Stephen Camacho, Board members Clarvis Joseph, Richard de Souza and Chairman of Selectors Mike Findlay will meet with the captain Brian Lara, in Trinidad to discuss targets for his performance during the series. A meeting was already held with Clive Lloyd in Antigua with a similar focus.

Top performance

Well-respected sports psychologist, Dr. Rudi Webster has already been working with some of the hopefuls for the West Indies side and will continue to work with the team in Trinidad and throughout the series. He will also help The Management as well in building a cohesive unit for top performance.

From here on West Indians will definitely want to focus on the cricket.

We have the home advantage. We have the millions of cricket-loving fans across the Caribbean. As the president said on Monday night we must unite behind our team.

The Board greatly values the keen interest of the Caribbean people in cricket. While it often makes it difficult because of the strong emotions and reactions to our decisions, that love of the sport is the envy of all other disciplines and indeed other institutions and we will not take it for granted.

We are also very fortunate to have a committed and generous sponsor for Test cricket in Cable and Wireless. There long-term commitment is vital to the development of West Indies cricket. They also go beyond the sponsorship to promote the sport throughout the Caribbean.

This season we can also celebrate the spread of International cricket to yet another part of the Caribbean as Grenada gets ready to host the 2nd Cable and Wireless One-Day International at the New Queen's Park Cricket Ground.

This is truly an outstanding facility of which all Grenadians should be proud. The efforts of the Grenada Government, the Grenada Cricket Association and the Windward Islands Board must be commended.

Major promotion

We look forward to initiatives like this coming on stream in other locations.

We are also fortunate this year to have Bowling For Dollars a major promotion aimed at boosting ticket sales and revenues.

This is restricted to Caricom citizens with a paid ticket for any of the Cable and Wireless Tests and One-Day matches. You will have the unprecedented chance to bowl for US$1 million, the biggest prize for any promotion or even lottery in the Caricom region!

So get your tickets and give our team your support in the stands. As WICB President Pat Rousseau said on Monday, ``West Indies cricket needs you now!''

Questions and comments to Across The Board can be sent to

The West Indies Cricket Board
St. John's Wood, Antigua

e-mail: WICB@candw.ag
Fax: (268) 460-5452 or

Saunders-Franklyn Associates Inc.
Suite No. 4, Wildey Shopping Plaza
St. Michael

E-Mail: saunders@caribsurf.com
Fax: (246) 437-5593.