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BCB to address safety concerns over Twenty20

Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) yesterday confirmed that player safety was the chief reason the Lindo’s T20 tournament had been postponed this week.In a statement from Nyon Steede, Chairman of the Technical Committee, the governing body admitted that seeing the red ball in low light could be difficult.The committee are set to meet sometime this week to thrash out a resolution in order for T20 cricket to resume."Due to concerns raised regarding safety and the practicalities of the red ball in low light, the BCB decided to postpone the games until the Technical Committee could consult the clubs and meet to review the situation,” said Steede.“The safety of players is of paramount importance to the Board. As soon as these concerns have been addressed the Lindo's T20 League will continue."The decision by the BCB to postpone the tournament on Monday was applauded following a number of complaints.The competition got underway last week amid controversy with no umpires turning up for the first two games.Complaints immediately surfaced over the use of red balls and coloured clothing.Warwick pulled out before the first game was played and there were no officials on hand in the matches between Willow Cuts and PHC at Somerset Cricket Club on Wednesday night, nor in the game between Flatts at Devonshire Rec the following day.Devonshire Rec manager Dennis Williams previously said the decision to postpone the competition until the technical committee sat down to discuss the complaints was the right move.“It is a good idea to put the brakes on it after experiencing the first week of it, things need to be addressed,” said Williams. “Coloured clothes and red balls and not enough umpires are all issues that need to be addressed. In the match against Flatts I personally had to stand in to umpire.“How did they even schedule the T20? And the main point of the red ball really has to be looked at.“History was made with the game being played out the Rec for the first time under the lights, but the fielders couldn’t see the ball and once a set batsman was out, the new one coming in couldn’t see the ball either.”After Wednesday’s match, which Cuts won by seven wickets over PHC at Somerset Cricket Club, Dexter Basden also voiced his opinion.“The red ball favours the team batting first because at night the ball is too dark to pick up.“I think they are going to have to make a change, even the pink one they used last year was hard to pick up. I think coloured clothing would be the answer but for most teams. Maybe it is too late to make the conversion to coloured clothing because it is pretty expensive.“The answer is definitely a white ball.”