GOVERNMENT?S decision to decline an invitation to host cricket World Cup warm-up matches shouldn?t have come as any great surprise.

But don?t for a minute believe that decision had anything to do with the Island?s fickle February weather ? the official reason given this week for the U-turn.

No doubt the World Cup organising committee?s decision to bring forward the 2007 warm-up games from March/April to February/March would have presented Bermuda with some additional problems.

But cricket has been played here before at that time of year, and there?s probably as much chance of games being rained out in April/March as there is in February.

It?s almost certain that this week?s bail-out had a lot more to do with money than with the weather.

Having already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a failed bid to host actual World Cup games, someone in Government finally came to their senses and realised it simply wasn?t worth making further investment for games of so little importance.

It?s been reported that it would take another $30 million to properly prepare the National cricket stadium on Frog Lane.

And if that?s true, there?s surely much better ways to disperse that kind of cash.

Sadly, planning at the stadium has been seriously flawed.

The pitch, as we heard from an ICC expert late last year, ?isn?t fit to grow carrots? and would require an enormous amount of work and money to bring up to the required standard.

As for the brand new pavilion, it might look impressive from a distance but as a functional dressing room for the world?s top players it falls woefully short.

In the team?s changing rooms, there?s space for only nine players. Who on earth came up with that design? How many cricket teams have nine players?

When West Indies played here they had to use the showers in which to change and it was the same story at last summer?s Americas tournament.

Added to that inconvenience are the less-than-satisfactory viewing facilities both for spectators on the balcony and the players themselves at ground level.

And inexplicably no provision has yet been made for an electronic scoreboard.

Obviously if Bermuda were to host major international games, these flaws would have to be remedied ? at considerable expense.

Whatever their reasons, Government?s decision this week was the right one.

But wouldn?t it be nice if they could get it right in the first place?

STILL on cricket, the BCB?s announcement this week of an ambitious build-up campaign to this summer?s ICC Trophy in Ireland comes not a minute before time, and will be welcome news to all of the game?s followers.

Board president Reggie Pearman said he believed Bermuda had the potential to beat every team in their group when the tournament gets underway in July.

And he might be right. But ?potential? is the operative word.

If we were to play any one of those teams tomorrow ? Ireland, Denmark, Uganda, UAE or the USA ? chances are we?d be soundly defeated.

Yet if a national coach can be employed within, say, the next four to six weeks, the training camp planned in the Caribbean materialises, as do the incoming tours and a series of matches against top class opposition immediately before the ICC Trophy begins, there?s no reason why Bermuda can?t realise its long-time World Cup dream.

This week?s announcement of the intended preparation programme was the first step.

If the players can match their talent with an equal helping of commitment, this could still be a summer to celebrate.

FROM ?sports terrorists? to the ?good guys in sports? ? all in a matter of months.

One can only think Sports Minister Dale Butler was being diplomatic in his assessment of Bermuda Track and Field Association on the eve of International Race Weekend, having last year launched an attack of unprecedented venom on the governing body.

What?s caused this sudden change of mind?

Dale?s not saying. But one suspects it?s a simple show of solidarity.

Tourism Minister Ewart Brown has donated $80,000 of taxpayers? money to ensure that the event ? initially cancelled by the BTFA last year ? wouldn?t go under.

And that cash, added to a generous donation by philanthropist David Barber, has ensured the race festival will indeed celebrate its 30th anniversary.

But that doesn?t change anything as regards the way the BTFA conduct their business.

No doubt Race Weekend will be another huge success ? it?s run by a separate BTFA committee and a huge band of dedicated volunteers who do a fabulous job every year.

But as soon as it?s over, attention will turn to this year?s Carifta Games.

And guess what? The policies of exclusion which prevented so many local youngsters competing in front of their home crowd last year, will likely again come to the fore.

Minister Butler might wish he?d reserved judgement.

SOCCER referee George O?Brien needs to be shown the red card for his inexcusable blunder last Sunday when he ordered a replay after the drawn Friendship Trophy match between Dandy Town and North Village.

As stipulated by the rules, the match should have been settled immediately by a penalty shoot-out, and it was incumbent on O?Brien to know those rules before he even stepped onto the pitch.

But regardless of that mistake, it was childish of Town to refuse to turn up for the shoot-out on Tuesday night as ordered by Bermuda Football Association.

The rules clearly state that a shoot-out should determine the winners, so it?s difficult to see why Town thought they were entitled to a replay.

Should the BFA decide to boot them out of the competition, it would be no less than they deserve.