World Cup offer to be rejected?

GUERNSEY have been invited to the 2007 indoor cricket world cup. At the end of next September, the cream of the indoor game, including Australia and South Africa, will descend on Bristol to take part in the sixth indoor cricket world showdown.

With the £1m. indoor cricket centre at the Hougue du Pommier due to open next August or September, Guernsey have been asked to send a team.

But according to Jason Shambrook, who is the island's development officer and the man who will be in charge of the centre, it looks unlikely the senior team will feature as they would be too new to the game.

'It will be very difficult for us to play in that as we would not have really played the game by then and for us to then play in the world cup would be very difficult,' said Shambrook.

'We're still looking to see if we can send a side. It'd be nice to do it.

'But practically it'd be very difficult for us to compete in it.'

Shambrook was quick to point out how different indoor cricket is from the outdoor version.

Matches are eight-a-side, last 16 overs with batsmen allowed to stay in for only four overs. Every team member has to bowl two overs.

In effect the ball never 'dies' and the result is a fast and furious affair with something happening every ball.

In Australia it is big business. There it is estimated the game has the fifth biggest following of all the sports in the country.

It is even more popular than men's outdoor cricket, with 35% more people playing it and there are more than 350 centres in the sport-mad country.

The Waugh brothers, Steve and Mark, were members of the Australian indoor team as was former Test fast bowler Bruce Reid.

'It's a huge game over that side of the world,' said Shambrook.

Even though it looks unlikely that the senior island team will go, it is hoped that the Guernsey under-19s could line up in their age-group version of the tournament run in conjunction with the senior event.

'We might send the under-19s as they won't have the same commitments that the senior side will have,' said Shambrook.

'It would be quite interesting to see if we can compete. There's a good chance that we will send them and it gives us a chance to see where we are at.'

At the weekend the president of the British Indoor Cricket Association, Bob Manca, was in the island to have a look at the Hougue du Pommier site.

Shambrook is hopeful that when the centre is up and running it will host international matches. Last year, South Africa played a five-match Test series against England in centres all round Britain.

'It'd be nice to get Test matches over here. That's our aim,' said Shambrook.

'We're hoping that the game will take off. It can be played by mixed and women's teams as well. Also, you don't need to know much about the game to play.'