Progress on the much-maligned and currently redundant cricket square at the National Sports Centre appears to have come to a grinding halt ? a development which means that it might be many months before Bermuda is able to host international cricket again.

Ever since Bermuda was the venue for the Americas Championship in 2004, the NSC?s pitches have been deemed unfit to stage internationals and overseas experts such as the International Cricket Council?s Andy Atkinson have recommended that the Trustees import higher quality soil from overseas and re-lay the entire square.

This recommendation has so far been resisted by the Ministry of the Environment and many local farmers who fear there could disastrous environmental consequences if harmful microbes often contained in non-indigenous soil were to spread into nearby fields.

However, Sports Minister Dale Butler told in April that the Ministry of the Environment was in the final stages of compiling a report on how other countries have handled the dilemma and would be reporting back to Cabinet ?in the next month or so?.

But when contacted yesterday, an Environment Ministry spokesman said they were not prepared to discuss the issue at all, while Butler would only say that it was the Environment Ministry?s responsibility and he was therefore ?not in a position to comment?.

The matter was plunged into further confusion yesterday afternoon by the chairman of the NSC Trustees Gerard Bean, who said that he had absolutely no knowledge of any report while conceding that he had ?no idea? when the problem could be resolved.

?Nobody from the Ministry of the Environment has spoken to me and to be honest this is the first I?ve heard of any type of report,? he said.

?As far as we are concerned, there is no soil in Bermuda which is good enough and we are not allowed to bring in soil from overseas. That is that. There?s nothing more I can say.

?What we?ve promised the BCB is that we will maintain the artificial surface left behind after the 20-20 World Cricket Classic to the best of our ability, but other than that there is nothing we can do.

?We haven?t made any progress on the square for quite a while now.?

The BCB were unwilling to comment last night, though president Reggie Pearman has made it clear in past statements on the issue that a venue to host international cricket was an absolute must if they are to fulfil their long-term ambitions.