Government yesterday announced its largest single investment ever in a single sport ? pumping an unprecedented $11 million into Bermuda cricket.

The five-year commitment, announced by Premier Alex Scott at a Cabinet Press conference yesterday, will help fund ambitious plans to prepare the team for the cricket World Cup in 2007 as well as improve infrastructure and facilities at clubs and schools.

?You cannot buy inspiration,? said Mr. Scott, proudly wearing a Bermuda cricket baseball cap at the upbeat and informal announcement.

?But you can support those who provide inspiration. It is a new era for cricket in Bermuda and the Government will do all it can to ensure that we are on the world cricketing stage for many, many years.?

Both Mr. Scott and Sports Minister Dale Butler said that the cash injection into cricket, via the Bermuda Cricket Board, was not at the expense of funding to other sports and also said the $11m was separate from the $1m being put into next year?s World Cricket Classic or any upgrades for the National Sports Centre.

Mr. Butler said that the $100,000 cheque handed over to the BCB at a public ceremony after they had returned from Ireland where they qualified for the World Cup was the first payment in the $1.9m being handed over this year ? with other monies also already in the hands of the sport?s governing body.

A wave of cricket euphoria has swept the Island this summer after the team qualified for the showpiece World Cup in the West Indies in 2007 with hundreds turning out at the airport to welcome the team home and a similar number already expressing an interest in attending the tournament in the Caribbean.

?Government is fully committed to assisting our Bermuda national cricket team as they prepare for international competition on the world stage,? said Mr. Butler.

?In this regard, it gives me great pleasure to announce that Government has agreed to commit $11m for the future development of Bermuda cricket.

?The money will be presented to the Bermuda Cricket Board to assist our national team with their preparations first, for the ICC World Cup 2007, for the further development of our domestic cricket infrastructure, and also to qualify for the World Cup in 2011.?