In less than 24 hours on the Island, the Venue Assessment Team (VAT) for the Cricket World Cup 2007 were impressed with Bermuda?s ?very distinct touch of class?.

The 12-member group ? on the last of their tours to prospective host territories ? enjoyed ?a very productive? visit to Bermuda on Saturday after which they spoke glowingly of the country?s World Cup bid campaign.

?We?ve seen a side to Bermuda which clearly demonstrates you have a lot of organisational skills and an immense amount of capability. You know what the Cricket World Cup is all about,? said Managing Director and CEO of the ICC ?s CWC West Indies 2007 Chris Dehring.

?Bermuda was exceptional. In fact, Bermuda raised the bar on all of us in its presentation.?

Adressing a Press conference at Fairmont Hamilton Princess on Saturday, he said the smooth manner in which all aspects of the VAT?s trip were handled displayed Bermuda?s motivation and ability to mobilise various sectors of society and augurs well for a mammoth undertaking such as the World Cup.

?That is what is important. It?s not going to be an event just run by Reggie (Pearman) and the Bermuda Cricket Board,? he said.

?Every ministry, every citizen has to get involved to host this kind of event and Bermuda has demonstrated it?s not only willing but very capable.?

Donald Lockerbie, the Venue Development Director of the ICC CWC West Indies 2007, concurred with his colleague. Describing the VAT?s debriefing with local officials as ?extremely positive?, he noted that what they saw here matched what was in Bermuda?s Bid Book.

?What made it easier was that Bermuda?s bid, in the first place, was extremely concise, easy to read and understandable and left very few questions,? said Lockerbie.

?So today when we came looking to find something to be critical of, what we found was complete organisation that backed up what was presented.

?We have been able to verify that what we read is truly in place.

?One of the things we needed to look at and verify was which countries can be ready and are capable of hosting the biggest event to grace this part of the world and who do we want to do business with?

?I know we?re going back feeling positive about those two questions here in Bermuda.?

Regarding the Island?s lack of sufficient accommodation for World Cup fans and its proposal to use cruise ships to compensate for the shortfall, Dehring termed it ?a wonderful challenge the entire region faces? because it means demand exceeds supply.

Ultimately, he said it will be ?a question of looking at the solutions Bermuda has put forward and seeing how they fit in relative to other countries?.

Despite the strong impression Bermuda created, he warned that choosing the eight World Cup venues is ?a very difficult task? which has become progressively tough given the ?quality of presentations which countries have made?.

?We have 11 bidding countries and three must go,? he stated candidly.

Asked if Bermuda not being located in the Caribbean proper is a disadvantage, the World Cup Managing Director replied that while the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is aware of the vast economic benefits to the region, they must marry their goals with those of the ICC ? who own the World Cup and who want to spread cricket globally ? and that all bids will be considered impartially.

?Clearly the proceeds, intent and importance of it (the Cricket World Cup) to the West Indies are critical and paramount,? said Dehring.

?That?s not to say that the WICB and the Cricket World Cup do not recognise the importance of the ICC?s objectives. We are hosting their event and that?s why we are keen to open the opportunity to our brothers in cricket ? the USA and Bermuda.

?We?re looking at this scientifically and professionally. We want to have the best Cricket World Cup ever...and this VAT will do a detailed technical report which the (World Cup) Board (of Directors) will utilise to make its decisions (on venues).

?It?s a tough decision and there may be one or two disappointed people but we all have to rally around that decision.?

Lockerbie stressed that, once host venues are announced on July 4 and matches are assigned to venues on July 13, the time leading up to the World Cup will pass very quickly.

?They will be the fastest 34 months of each country?s existence, I can assure you,? explained the venue specialist.

?It sounds like a lot of time but it really isn?t because any stadium that we?re going to present to the ICC must have its permanent construction completed by the end of 2006. That takes four or five months away which leaves 30 months. Then countries have got to be able to certify it?s done so construction is going to need to be done by early fall 2006.

?Any new pitches and fields will have to be done by the summer of 2006 so they can pass all ICC scrutiny. That really means we have two years to truly be in place ? from the time we announce until the time we have most of our venues up and ready.?

While all potential host nations must undergo either major renovation or build new stadiums, Lockerbie said that venue-wise the region can put on the ?greatest Cricket World Cup ever?.