The unannounced cancellation of a highly-publicised Press conference regarding plans for next May?s inaugural 20-20 World Cricket Classic yesterday left the Island?s media ?stumped?.

Print and broadcast reporters converged on the Cabinet Office for the 2 p.m. meeting only to be surprised by the news that it had been called off on Wednesday night ?by the cricket people?.

It is understood that personnel from the Department of Communications and Information also turned up for the briefing though head of that department, Beverley Lottimore, was later querying who had called the Press conference.

An e-mail invitation was circulated to the local media last Saturday about the tournament which is expected to bring the cream of cricket?s Over-35 players from the West Indies, England, Australia and several other cricketing nations to Bermuda.

The event, which is being organised by Britain?s Get Fit Foundation (GEFF) ? who sent out the media invitation ? as the showpiece of its international launch, is said to have the blessing of Government and the Bermuda Cricket Board and Premier Alex Scott was to have addressed the gathering.

Special invitees ? including Bermuda Cricket Board president Reggie Pearman and the ?Voice of Summer? Jim Wooldridge ? seemed to have known the proceedings were off as none of them showed up.

Though stunned to learn the media were not notified of the cancellation, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sport Dr. Derrick Binns stressed it was GEFF who had gone ahead and summoned the media, so therefore Government were not at fault for any of the confusion.

Still he sought to shed some light on the situation, stating ?a conflict in the Premier?s diary? was the crux of the cancellation.

Binns disclosed that Scott had asked for a postponement as he was already meeting with the media yesterday at noon to discuss the Berkeley School. The ministry official said the briefing might be rescheduled for today.

However, well-informed sources have indicated the divisions between Government and GEFF may be deeper than just a mix-up over a Press conference.

?There isn?t complete harmony about this. These people (GEFF) expect a large cash injection ? probably millions (of dollars) ? from Government. They?re relying on everything to come from Government,? said one insider.

?From the beginning, they asked for a donation but then as things progressed it seemed like they were looking for more and more. I don?t think all the financing has been sorted out yet.?

Sources are of the view that officials from the Ministry of Sport and the National Sports Centre are ?not in support of it because of the financial obligations involved?, including the importation of giant scoreboards and replay screens.

Terming the Press conference ?premature?, they argued that Government were ?not in a position to commit to something of this magnitude without having done all the homework?.

?I suspect this may be something that has been okayed by the Cabinet without all the necessary background work having been done.

?It may go ahead but perhaps this Press conference was premature,? noted one individual.

It is also understood that the fact that broke the story last Monday ?threw everybody off? and that article was apparently the first time many Government officials knew of plans for yesterday?s Press conference.

Meanwhile, another media advisory, e-mailed from GEFF on Wednesday, stated details of the 20-20 World Cricket Classic would be outlined to the Press at the Ramada Plaza Regents Park Hotel in England next Tuesday morning.