Bermuda's national cricket team seemed to have shown some signs of improvement in their opening warm-up match in the United Arab Emirates this week.But the question that might be asked is why are the team in Dubai for the second time in less than three months when we have a perfectly good pitch here in Bermuda in order to play internationals?Why is it that our so-called cricket development programme always entails travelling half way around the globe.On this occasion, the side are in Dubai in an effort to maintain their tenuous world league second division status following a string of poor results, and it just so happens the International Cricket Council (ICC) have scheduled another tournament in the Middle East where the game is not particularly popular.It's perhaps more than coincidence that the ICC's headquarters are located in Dubai. And they are providing the funding for Bermuda's visit.But it was just a few years ago that an ICC pitch expert was sent toBermuda to inspect the facilities atthe north field of the National Sports Centre where he sarcastically concluded that the pitch ‘wasn't fit to grow carrots.'He was proved wrong.Since then, Scotland have visited and the same pitch hosted an Americas Tournament match against Canada and held up very well. Indeed, it was praised by the visiting team no doubt because they'd given the local boys another whipping.But the fact remains that the north field was designed to host international cricket, complete with cricket pavilion albeit a building which has been heavily criticised for inadequate facilities. Yet that field has become almost a white elephant.Occasionally used for training, its main purpose in recent years has been to host the annual Rugby Classic.Other than the aforementioned Americas Cup game and a brief 20/20 tournament, little or no international cricket has been played on that field.Naturally, as tradition dictates, Cup Match is played either in Somerset or St. George's and the County games are rotated around the clubs. One would have thought that at least the Belco Cup semi-finals and final would be played at the NSC. Not so.Instead, our top players have hopped on planes at enormous expense to travel to Canada and Trinidad on a number of occasions, to Namibia twice, Dubai twice, Kenya, South Africa and other countriesPerhaps the ICC and BCB could explain why Bermuda has never been given a chance to host some of these tours or major competitions.During the long winters in Canada and the USA, their national teams would most likely want to play here where conditions for cricket are rarely too severe to play the game.Certainly County cricket in England is often played in the bitter cold, such is the fickle nature of England's climate.There are, of course, numerous advantages to competing on home soil, not least the expense factor.Players need to take less time off work, they can return home after each day's play rather than stay in a hotel, they can play on a pitch on which they have become familiar and local cricket fans are offered the opportunity to witness how that development programme is progressing at their expense.Let's not forget millions of dollars of taxpayers' money have been ploughed into local cricket after the national team's qualification for the 2007 World Cup. Given the results since, many believe it was cash thrown down the drain and could have been spent more wisely on other projects.New coach David Moore is attempting to turn the sport around, and has already realised the enormity of that task.He even suggested that after the last disastrous tour overseas, Bermuda cricket would be better served by teaching the basics of the game to eleven-year-olds rather than to continue to explore the talents of those players who have shown few signs of discarding the bad habits which have translated into a string of poor performances.On this current tour he's taken the option of recalling some of the Island's more senior players such as Lionel Cann and Irving Romaine and veteran skipper David Hemp retains his place, and hopefully that mix of experience and youth will help restore some pride.Those watching the current World Cup on the sub-continent may have noticed that many of the leading countries are still selecting players over the age of 30, several close to 40.Cricket is one sport where age isn't always a factor, much like golf.If a player maintains his fitness, there's no reason why he can't still be performing at the highest level.Here in Bermuda, either by choice or by decisions made by selectors, many of the leading players stray away from the international scene while at the same time continue to play club cricket. Family and work commitments contribute to that situation.If more international matches were played on the Island that might not be the case.Why they aren't is something that the BCB and the ICC have yet to explain.ADRIAN ROBSON