The one thing that could help propel Bermuda ahead in world class cricket, could ultimately be disastrous for the environment.

That?s according to the Shadow Minister of the Environment, Cole Simons, who is urging Government not to import foreign soil in order to bring the Island?s cricket pitches to ICC standards.

Mr. Simons said West Indies cricket legend Lance Gibbs advised Government that if Bermuda was to make the most of its cricketing ability, it needed to improve the standard of its strips. And this could only be done with the lifting on its ban on importing foreign soil.

During a visit to the Island earlier this month, Mr. Gibbs said Bermuda had the infrastructure, but if we were to maintain a high level of cricket, we needed to have good pitches ? and we don?t.

In an interview with Mr. Gibbs said: ?I have looked at all the grounds and the major concern has to be the pitches.?

?Youngsters growing up on pitches with an uncertain bounce and the ball going in odd directions are never going to be able to develop the cricketing mind to make it.?

He added that Government needed do something about the rule on bringing in soil, because until the wickets themselves were right, it would be hard for cricket in Bermuda to move forward.

His hard-hitting comments echo those made on previous visits by ICC High Performance Development Manager Richard Done earlier this year, although circumventing tough legislation surrounding the importation of soil is going to be difficult to achieve.

But Mr. Simons said this weekend that he had it on good authority that the Government was going ahead with plans to import some 32 containers of foreign soil.

This he said would also mean the importation of invasive species, which could have a disastrous effect on the environment.

However, in the House on Friday, the Minister of the Environment, Neletha Butterfield, said in response: ?If he is the Shadow Minister of the Environment, he must know the law. The law states there is no importation of soil.?

Mr. Simons said he simply wanted to make it clear that the law not be amended for any special circumstances ? like the upgrade of the cricket pitch at the National Stadium.

?Like any responsible government, we in Bermuda do not allow the importation of soil and for those who are pressing Government to amend the regulations to import soil, it?s irresponsible,? he said.

Government Whip Ottiwell Simmons also assured the House that there were no plans to import foreign soil.

?That?s not what I?ve been told,? Mr. Simons said later.

He said he had it on good authority that the Government was going ahead with plans to import about 100 truck loads of soil.

Local farmer and campaigner for the environment, Thomas Wadson yesterday said if Government went ahead and did this, he would do everything in his power to make sure that soil never reached the docks.

Mr. Wadson said: ?Did I waste my entire summer on the roundtable discussions for sustainable development??

He said he had also heard rumours that the importation would go ahead because ?some guy? who was good at spinning a cricket ball was suddenly an expert on soil and cricket pitches.

He said clearly people were very concerned and see no need for this to happen.

?Let?s do it right and avoid another disaster,? he said, adding that the Minister of Youth and Sports Dale Butler to return his calls concerning this issue.

?These laws are not passed because someone felt like making some noise,? he said, reminding Government of other decisions to bring in ?invasive species? either intentionally or not.