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Word is, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has made an official plea to regional governments for assistance in staging the 2007 World Cup.

You might assume that there's no way the governments would not respond in a tangible form, but all the same it's good that the board has taken the early initiative to get them involved.

In fact, there's no way you could have such a huge undertaking without governmental support.

However, the governments' well-documented habit of promising and then procrastinating or not delivering at all will be a concern to some.

The impression has been given over the years that like most arrangements made under the CARICOM umbrella, lip service has been the main source of delivery.

One of the main areas in which governments have not come through for West Indies cricket was over the matter of retainer contracts for leading players.

It had to be abandoned after one year because promises to help finance the project weren't kept.

And to think that cricket is the national sport of the region, the one and only link that is said to bring the Caribbean together.

The point is that if it is seen as such, commitments made to enhance and improve should be kept.

We have to be realistic and know that unless we put certain measures in place, a true West Indies revival at the international level will not be realised in the near future, not when our opponents have their own strategic plans in place to build on their success.

Whatever programme we come up with, regional governments must be part and parcel of it.

It's part of their social contract with the people who, as stated before, still see cricket as an integrating force within the region.

This is something that should not be taken for granted given the fact that we struggle to co-operate in other areas that are essential to our overall well-being.

Cricket, therefore, is special and deserves attention that hasn't always been forthcoming.

The 2007 World Cup will not be a success with mere lip service.

All hands must be on deck with regional governments taking the lead in association with the private sector and the WICB and its partners.

My faith that regional governments will come through this time is based on the fact that the eyes of the world will be on us and we are too proud a people to fall short of anything less than a well organised and well-executed World Cup.

© The Barbados Nation