The ?carrot patch? is being dug up.

A year after visiting cricket teams expressed concern for their safety while batting at the National Sports Centre (NSC), plans are well underway for its rehabilitation into a world-class surface.

Deputy chairman of the NSC?s Board of Trustees Sean Tucker yesterday revealed the four-pitch lay-out would be relaid with foreign soil conducive to the playing of cricket.

Tests of soil samples from potential sources ? including Caribbean islands like Trinidad, St. Kitts and St. Lucia as well as Canada and the USA ? are now being tested at labs in England and the results should be known within a few weeks.

?We have decided that we have to take the wicket up. We want a world-class pitch and it?s been said that the only way to do that is to replace the present soil. So we?re going to take up the four wickets that are there,? disclosed Tucker, explaining why soil is being sourced from abroad.

?We have not been able to identify suitable soil in Bermuda that would be able to produce a world-class wicket. We want one that would ideally last for five days. It?s a science to get the perfect cricket wicket.

?We have sent soil samples from potential sources to labs in England to be tested to confirm they are the right composition of soil and are suitable.

?Once that?s confirmed we have to be certain the source we choose has enough soil which we can get. Then the soil would have to be mined, sterilised and shipped to Bermuda.?

Last November International Cricket Council (ICC) pitch consultant Andy Atkinson labelled the NSC pitch ?more suitable for growing carrots on? after a succession of teams, including the West Indies, had encountered drastically inconsistent bounce on the wicket.

Now, a Trinidadian consultant has been recruited to spearhead the rehabilitation procedure which will culminate in five new pitches and two new nets.

Asked if they are expediting matters given the country?s 2007 Cricket World Cup qualification and the likelihood of more matches being played at NSC, Tucker replied: ?We?ve been trying to do it as quickly as we could but we wanted to make sure we were doing it right.

?Certainly Bermuda?s qualifying for the World Cup has given us a little push to ensure we get it done correctly.?