The paper said that young Cubans used to playing baseball in the streets had little difficulty in switching to cricket as the two sports were closely related.

Cricket's popularity was such that a national cricket association had been set up headed by Leona Ford Miler under the auspices of the National Institute for Sports and Physical Recreation.

These developments, the paper said, were making waves across the Caribbean where cricket reigns supreme in many of the islands where it was introduced by the English in the 19th century.

"The development of cricket in Cuba is worrying many countries in the region," it said.

"The biggest of the Caribbean islands would represent a real danger to them if cricket were ever to dislodge baseball as top sport."

The next cricket World Cup will take place in the Caribbean in 2007.