January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Letter: Could artificial pitch solve problem of needing to import soil for cricket?
Letter: Could artificial pitch solve problem of needing to import soil for cricket?
It does seem an extreme effort - change in legislation, expense, manpower - just for a pitch, but I appreciate the reasons. Cricketers, cricket fans, the Ministry of Community Affairs & Sports, the Ministry of Tourism and the Bermuda Cricket Board all would like to see international cricket played here.
I think most of us can see the benefits. The big hitch is the pitch.
The pitch has to meet the International Cricket Council's (ICC) requirements. I understand there is not enough, locally, of the required grade of clay (the fine-grained particles in soil which impart plasticity and will harden when dried). Even though we may have skilled pitch preparers who can apply local materials to ICC standard, apparently it will not stand up to the number of days required for international matches.
While I appreciate the importance to many of bringing international cricket here, I am concerned about the potential danger to the environment, especially agricultural soils.
Soil is filled with living organisms - some we are able to see, others are so microscopic that as many as 200,000 can fit in a single teaspoonful of soil and some can be devastating. Of course, we bring in a little soil on our shoes and other items, but nothing compared to the volume we are contemplating deliberately importing.
We have been assured that every effort will be made to destroy all organisms before and after reaching Bermuda but there still remains fears around how this is to be accomplished.
I think the way forward is for government authorities and the Bermuda Cricket Board to meet with concerned members of the public so that every concern is heard and every option explored because of the potential for serious consequences. Perhaps a detailed drawing and explanation of the air-tight quarantine, treatment and inspection systems would
help. Has anyone asked the ICC if an artificial pitch is acceptable?
Frances Eddy
Warwick[[In-content Ad]]
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