In April, WICB president Ken Gordon said the 15 million dollars deficit was hampering plans to launch a long-awaited regional development plan.

However, with 32 million dollars earned in ticket revenue alone, Gordon -- who will not be seeking re-election when his term as president ends later this month -- said in a statement released after a board meeting in Kingston, Jamaica on Friday, that tournament profits would erase the shortfall.

"We sold more tickets (672,000) than the last two cricket world cups in South Africa (625,000) and England (476,000) and garnered 32 million dollars in ticket revenue which the ICC (International Cricket Council) has told us is the highest gate ever.

"The profit from the event will also eliminate the deficit of the WICB and this augurs well for the future of West Indies cricket," he added.

However, there were criticisms of the ninth Cricket World Cup, the first staged in the Caribbean, with some local fans unhappy with the price of match tickets and overseas cricket followers taken aback by vastly-inflated hotel prices across the region.

The tournament was overshadowed early on by the death of Pakistan coach and former England player Bob Woolmer.

Then came the bungled end to the April 28 final. Australia beat Sri Lanka at Barbados's Kensington Oval but only after match officials, fearful of having to use the reserve day, insisted the game be completed in pitch black darkness having forgotten a standard playing condition which says a result can be declared following 20 overs in the second innings.