ICC consultant pleased with pitches in Trinidad

Kingston, July 1 (UNI) International Cricket Council (ICC) Pitch and Field consultant Andy Atkinson has expressed satisfaction with the pitches and the grounds after his tour of four of the venues to be used for matches in Trinidad during the World Cup next year.

Atkinson inspected the pitches and outfields at the UWI Sports and Physical Education Centre in St Augustine, the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva, and the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain in that order.

''There is not much more we can do now,'' he was quoted as saying in Trinidad and Tobago express. ''We just have to consolidate the square and re-grow the grass on the pitches after the matches played here. And that will come with a little rain and sun. So I would say that things are going pretty well.'' Atkinson said with some luck, once the hurricane season is kind to the Caribbean, the situation with the pitches will be right on target.

Atkinson is scheduled to return to Trinidad in September to complete another round of inspections, before a high-powered ICC team shows up in November to survey the pitches ahead of the March 15 start of the World Cup in the Caribbean.

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