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The Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) wants to host the 2007 World Cup cricket final.

But, it is not too sure at which venue.

What it is certain about is that the island needs to create a modern world-class venue capable of holding events of the highest international level.

The options are to upgrade Kensington Oval to satisfy international standards or to develop a new ground by 2006.

To this end, the issue has been identified among nine priorities in the BCA's four-year development plan which was presented to the Press yesterday by a team of officials, headed by BCA president Stephen Alleyne.

Our aim is to have the World Cup final played at I would like to say Kensington in Barbados, Alleyne said.

But that's the aim of everybody else in the Caribbean and we're going to do the very best that we can.

The BCA, however, conceded that the facilities at Kensington did not approach those of widely acknowledged world-class venues.

Kensington has for us many, many happy memories, but for many of us who have seen other venues elsewhere in the world at the highest level, Kensington is probably not the best even though it may be most loved by us, Alleyne said.

In its development plan, the BCA said initial estimates indicate a world-class facility in Barbados would cost between $35 million and $60 million, depending on whether existing facilities were upgraded or a new stadium constructed.

It is not an easy exercise for the West Indies to create the kind of facilities that are needed, Alleyne said.

To create the kind of multi-use facility that would be required to justify the expenditure, you really have to think long and hard as to what would be the alternative uses that these facilities can be put to.

© The Barbados Nation