Promising young cricketer Sam Stevens yesterday drew Bermuda Cricket Board of Control president El James into responding to critical comments made by the England-based player regarding the current state of the local game.

In a letter to Sports Mailbox (see page 24), Stevens, who last year captained prominent English county side Middlesex's under-19 team and is set to challenge for a place in the second XI this summer, blasted the current administration as a blatant dictatorship, was critical of the format being endorsed, and termed the local pitches as mainly mediocre.

Conversely, Stevens welcomed the addition of Roland Butcher as national coach as a step in the right direction, but added the precursor that he be given carte blanche to implement whatever programmes he see fit and not be restrained by an aimless bureaucracy.

"I have been observing Bermuda cricket with increasing interest recently, my enthusiasm having been primarily stoked by playing with Western Stars at the beginning of last season,'' said Stevens, an allrounder who has also been accepted to attend Durham University's School of Excellence in the fall. "As my experience has grown, so have my concerns over a number of glaring inadequacies that exist under the current system, concerns also held by a number of prominent cricketers.

"As a relative outsider still, I have little to lose by being outspoken on various issues and perhaps, daring to say the things that so desperately need to be said.'' In attacking the quality of the pitches, Stevens highlighted how batsmen and bowlers were being unjustly served and were having their growth stunted.

Additionally, the lack of indoor facilities and proper nets at many grounds likewise prevented adequate advancement.

"The quality of pitches in Bermuda is generally poor,'' continued Stevens.

"Players' techniques and bowlers' discipline receive no benefit from mediocre tracks. Groundsmen should be contracted to a pitches consulatory committee who feed off advice from overseas experts: a procedure common-place abroad.

"Practice facilities here are woefully inadequate. An indoor `academy' of sorts would suit the winter where both national and club sides could make use of `true' surfaces, video analysis, tactical seminars and sports psychology sessions with the national coach. Outdoor netting facilities need improvement as uneven AstroTurf stripes predominate.

The youngster pointed to Bangladesh and Kenya, countries new to Test and one-day status, as having taken on initiatives to promote growth by sponsoring individuals into English leagues, granting them regular exposure to first class cricket, while Bermuda has stood still.

Moreover, the Island's current policy of one-day cricket only was denying up and coming players the true sense of the game.

"Far too much limited overs cricket is played in Bermuda. Far better perhaps, to make room for a regional declaration cricket over one or two days. The young Bermudian, gorged on a diet of limited overs, knows little of the subtleties of the longer game.

"If Bermuda is going to make good her aspirations, we must adapt to the changing times and not get lost in a plethora of stubbornness, false promises and inertia.'' James was angered by the criticism, particularly with it coming from a 20-year-old with little more than tertiary affiliation with the local game, intimating how Stevens' gripe may have come as a result of his being snubbed for inclusion in the Bermuda team during last year's tour by Eton College.

Stevens happened to be on the Island during the visit, and being familiar with Eton from his days as a member of rival institution Harrow, approached James in an effort to be drafted in as a guest player for one of the matches, but was ultimately rebuffed.

Continued on page 23 James defends BCBC Continued from page 21 "First of all he needs to get his facts straight,'' said James. "Obviously he has a gripe, and I don't know if it's because of the fact that he didn't play or what, but it's obvious that he hasn't been involved in local cricket.

"When I was introduced to this young man, and it wasn't by the coach but by the captain of the Eton team, he said that `Here was a young man that he knows and wants to play'.

"He obviously couldn't play for Eton, so he wanted to play for one of our teams against Eton. And, yes, it sounded like a good idea, but what it would have done was to deprive one of our youngsters, who we're developing, who is involved in our local programme, the opportunity of development.

"This is not a social programme, it's a development programme. I discussed it with the coach of Eton College and that was it, because there was no way we could accommodate him. We don't accommodate outsiders just for the sake of accommodating them.'' As regard to the local pitches and the deplorable state emphasised by Stevens, as well as the issue of a purpose built training facility, James conceded that improvements were indeed needed in many instances. However, he noted how clubs were making the best out of limited resources.

"It's always been a desire of the current administration, and we've stated that we need to have a purpose built facility with indoor and outdoor training facilities,'' said James. "But, as far as pitches are concerned, our soil is different from soils elsewhere.

"We've had many experts come here to do analysis and one thing we do know is that the bonding capability of our soils and clays is not the type that's going to last over a long period, but we still have some fairly good tracks.

And for one to say that they're really mediocre, obviously he needs to go and play in some of these other countries.

"England is one of the places that are very fortunate in that they have great climactic conditions conducive to lovely pitches. But when you start trekking around the world where climactic conditions change then you run into all types of stuff.

"He's come up with various points of what hasn't been done and what should be done, and I'm responding to an individual who is not really in touch with what's going on and what is being planned.'' As far as being a dictator, James riled that every decision made by his administration was in an effort to aid and abet the local game and those associated with it.

"Decisions have to be made and when these don't go along with one's thinking and they call that person a dictator as a result, if that is the case, I don't mind being called a dictator or being associated with a dictatorship.

"Whatever decisions we make are going to be made in the best interests of cricket and of those that are involved in local cricket. So one can call me a dictator if they like, but we will continue to make decisions to the benefit of local cricket and the local players involved in this sport.'' El James: Candid response.