International Cricket Council (ICC) Development Committee member Julian Hunte of the West Indies made a brief stopover in Bermuda this week to meet with local cricket officials.

The aim of the development committee is to look at ways of promoting the game among non Test-playing countries.

South African Bacher is head of that committee which also includes Hunte, who is vice president of the West Indies Cricket Board and chairman of the Development Committee of the WICB, Majod Khan of Pakistan, Roger Knight, secretary of the MCC, Joe Bazaglo, chairman of the Associate members and Ash Haq of Bangladesh.

"One of the restructuring exercises which the ICC did was to break the world of cricket into hemispheric regions,'' explained Hunte.

"Our region is known as the Americas and is led by the West Indies, as a full (ICC) member and headquartered in Antigua, and includes territories such as Canada, America, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Cayman, Argentina and Belize.

"The ICC, along with the WICB, has now taken a new thrust in terms of wanting to ensure that associate member countries like Bermuda are looked at with a view to improving their cricket.

"Also, to make it possible, particularly for those countries that are not up to Test match standard, but a little above the associate member standard, to find a window of opportunity.'' Some of the areas of cricket Hunte looked at and discussed with officials included facilities, competitions and umpiring to "see how best we can assist''.

Hunte left Bermuda yesterday and will submit a report of his findings when he returns to the West Indies.

"I just came from Canada and the US and from here I'm off to a meeting in Antigua when I will be submitting a report on the countries that I visited,'' explained Hunte.

"This is a follow-up visit to Ali's visit last year. We need to demonstrate that we are keen to ensure that the territories comprising the associate members are given a level of attention which, hitherto, did not exist.'' It is still the West Indies' hopes to stage the 2003 World Cup and Hunte did not rule out -- if facilities are up to par -- Bermuda, Canada and the United States all staging matches.

Such a privilege will be extended to Scotland, Holland and Ireland who will all host one match when the World Cup returns to England in 1999.

"We have Bermuda as one of the venues, along with Canada and we may very well have a facility in place in Orlando or New York by that time,'' said Hunte.

"We're hoping that in June, 1998, special dispensation will be given for South Africa to host the World Cup in 2001 and West Indies 2003,'' Hunte said of the tournament which is held every four years.

"There are two criteria for an associate member to achieve what we call ODI (One Day International) status. One is that they must play three-day cricket on a regular basis and the second one is that they must have an international stadium that would facilitate international cricket being staged.

"The international facility is top of the ladder because we see a lot more cricket being played now.'' Hunte accepted there was a lot of frustration being experienced by associate countries such as Bermuda, Canada and the United States who are trying to advance their cricket standing.

All three countries are forging closer links with the West Indies, with Bermuda returning for a second time to compete in the Shell/Sandals in October and the United States making their debuts, having agreed to alternate with Canada.

Next year the three countries are set to enter under-15 and under-19 tournaments in the Caribbean.

Hunte disclosed that plans were afoot to employ a full-time regional development officer. He said that person, a top ex-Test player, had already been identified and could fill the position by October.

"We're pushing it because of the needs of places like Bermuda, Canada and the United States are very pressing,'' said Hunte, who runs his own company, Julian R. Hunte Group of Companies (shipping and real estate) in St. Lucia.

"That person's job will be to go around and look at the development programmes and see that they are in place. He would be based in Antigua and would report both to the West Indies Cricket Board and the ICC.'' Hunte also stressed the need for various Governments to assist with improving facilities.

"You need people to get behind the BCBC and in this regard we stand ready in the West Indies to assist,'' he said.

JULIAN HUNTE -- offering ICC assistance.