The LNM Group, (Lakshmi N. Mithal), the second largest steel producing company in the world, are the official sponsors of the team to participate in the series which bowls off on February 9 in Cape Town, South Africa.

The West Indies Cricket Board will unveil the official sponsorship at a news conference and luncheon today in the Scarlet Ibis Room of Hilton Trinidad in Port of Spain from 11:00 hrs.

Rev. Wes Hall and Roger Braithwaite, president and acting chief executive officer respectively of the West Indies Cricket Board, and John Kuriyan, managing director of Caribbean Ispat Limited, a member of the LNM group will address the briefing.

The LNM Group’s head offices and Holding Limited are in Curacao, Netherland Antilles, and their administrative officers are located in Rotherdam, Holland.

Other members of the group include Ispat International NB, LNM Holdings and PT Ispat in Indonesia.

They are the principal manufacturers of iron and steel worldwide.

This is the second time that a member of the group will be sponsoring the regional team.

In 1994, Caribbean Ispat Limited sponsored the team under the captaincy of world bowling record holder, Courtney Walsh, on their tour to India.

At that time the sponsorship was then worth US$200 000 with several monetary incentives including US$50 000 for any player who breaks Brian Lara’s Test record of 375 runs.

Former WICB president Peter Short and Caribbean Ispat’s managing director Ram Misra were signatories to the 1994 sponsorship.

It was a historic occasion then, as Caribbean Ispat were the first company to sponsor the West Indies team on an overseas tour.

West Indies and hosts South Africa clash in the opening match of the World Cup on February 9 at Cape Town.

The regional team are grouped in Pool B, along with South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Kenya and Canada.

The West Indies World Cup 15 and the five standby players are currently at a two-week live-in training camp in Antigua.