©Getty Images / Cricket - Australia Cricket Australia CEO, James Sutherland, shares the ICC Cricket World Cup with visiting St Kitts Tourism & Sports Minister, Ricky Skerritt.

Australia was today promised "world-class facilities, hospitality and service during the 2007 World Cup" by the Sports and Tourism Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Ricky Skerritt, during a visit to Cricket Australia's offices in Melbourne.

Mr Skerritt, who was the West Indies Cricket Team Manager from 2000 - 2004, told Cricket Australia's CEO James Sutherland that his country couldn't wait to host players and supporters from Australia at the ICC Cricket World Cup next year.

"The ICC Cricket World Cup will be a defining moment for our country," Mr Skerritt said. When we submitted our bid we had specifically wanted to host Australia, the world champions and that dream will soon be a reality.

"Warner Park in Basseterre is a small ground which is being significantly upgraded and we can boast that by the time work is complete in less than a month we'll have the world's newest world class venue for international cricket. It's going to be a tremendous privilege for us to host Australia, the reigning champions as well as South Africa, Scotland and Holland in that first round," he said. "After that amazing world record ODI between Australia and South Africa recently, we will all be looking forward to their next encounter which will be in St. Kitts" Skerritt pointed out.

Mr Skerritt explained how the World Cup would benefit St Kitts and Nevis.

"We have a small population of 45,000 with 100,000 overnight and some 250,000 cruise visitors per year. The economy depends on tourism and here we have a world class event on our islands that will be watched by a potential global audience of 1.5 billion people. The ICC Cricket World Cup will put St Kitts & Nevis on the world map. I want visitors to enjoy wonderful cricket but to go away from St Kitts having enjoyed their overall experience of our islands and all we have to offer.:"
He also explained that he'd taken the opportunity to pass on some key information to Cricket Australia's senior managers and World Cup planners.

"James Sutherland is an old friend from my days managing the West Indies team and this was a key opportunity to provide the level of detail that teams like Australia require when masterminding their plans for the World Cup. We had a long meeting and I provided Michael Brown in Cricket Operations with a great deal of comfort about how we intend to look after the Australian team during the World Cup. We'll provide world-class facilities, hospitality and service during the ICC 2007 World Cup," he said.

Away from cricket the Sports Minister is in town to attend the Commonwealth Sports Ministers' conference and to support his commonwealth team. "It is a shame Kim Collins is not able to defend his 100 metres title here but we have at least a couple more young  rising stars on show. That's not a bad strike rate for a country with 45,000 people, is it?" he joked.