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The preparations are over, the contract wrangles and selection disputes are on the back burner. It's time to get down to business.Bermuda's cricketers boarded the plane for London last night on the first leg of their long trip to Africa.

They arrive in Nairobi on Wednesday and will take to the field this week for the first in a gruelling month-long schedule of cricket.

It's probably the toughest tour Bermuda has undertaken so far and a crucial step in the team's development as the on-field challenges increase incrementally in the run-up to the World Cup.

Here, James Whittaker talk to coach Gus Logie, about some of the key areas that will determine the success or failure of his side in the coming weeks.

Pace Bowlers

Following George O'Brien's controversial sacking from the team, who is going to pick up the slack?

O'Brien had raw pace and picked up regular wickets so, whatever his attitude problems, there is no doubt that on the field he will be missed.

It's an old adage that fast bowlers are born not made but coach Logie is hoping the hard yards put in by his battery of seamers will pay off.

Kevin Hurdle and Stefan Kelly will have learned invaluable lessons at the ICC Training Academy in South Africa and teenager Kelly, in particular, could find himself with a bigger role to play.

Few players work harder in training than Ryan Steede and it would be nice to see the effort pay off for him on the current tour.

Said Logie: "We won't be unearthing any Joel Garners or Michael Holdings, we are just looking for them to work hard and give an honest performance. That's all we are asking for.

"There's no magic to it, put in the hours and the chances are that you will be rewarded."

Clay Smith

A tough tour for captain Clay both physically and emotionally, following the death of his mother.

Clay, a steadying influence in the national team is a man who has always been there for his players, and he will need them to be there for him on this tour

With his father also in hospital and a brother suffering a stroke it must be tough for Clay to have his mind on cricket and it is a tribute to his dedication to the team that he will be making the trip.

Logie said he would be treated with 'kid gloves' on this tour.

"It's a trying time for him and we'll be looking forward to making sure he is as comfortable as possible."

On-the-field, too, Logie will take no risks with his skipper, to avoid a recurrence of his troubling knee injury. It's important that Smith is on this tour, but it's even more important that he makes the World Cup squad.

The Bermuda Sun extends its condolences to Clay and his family and wishes them all the best at this time.

David Hemp

After a year of waiting, Hemp's time has finally arrived. Much will be expected of the Glamorgan captain as the only professional on the team, but will he deliver?

His track record suggests he can handle the pressure and his inclusion should bolster an already very strong middle-order.

His experience of the longer format will be crucial in the Intercontinental Cup games against Kenya and Holland, where patience at the crease, sound technique and the ability to stay focused for long periods of time will be crucial.

For the majority of Bermuda's team the opening game against Kenya will be their second four-day match - ever.

Hemp plays 16-a-year in the English County Leagues.

Logie's delighted to have him on board, at last, but cautioned that people should not expect a one-man show.

"The public will expect a lot from him and he expects a lot from himself. But we are not going to depend on him. He is an addition to the team. The other players won't be thinking that they can relax and let him do the work."

The Young Guns

Bermuda, under Gus Logie, has always had a policy of giving the island's most promising young cricketers a chance to travel with the senior squad.

But that ethos seems to have broadened this time with the inclusion of three teenagers - Malachi Jones, Rodney Trott and Stefan Kelly - in the squad.

Which of the trio will step up and make a case for them to be included in the World Cup side.

With O'Brien out Lionel Cann missing the first half of the tour how the rising stars fill the gap could be crucial to Bermuda's success.

But Logie cautioned that World Cup '07 was not the be all and end all, and that the youngsters were included with an eye on 2009.

"If they don't make it to the World Cup it is not the end of the world. There will be plenty of opportunities to progress themselves over the next few years.

"We are looking at investing in some of these young players for the future."

Come World Cup 2011, should Bermuda qualify again, they could go into the tournament with a youthful squad that has vast experience of playing all over the world.

Even so, should one of the young boys stand out on this tour, they may get their break sooner rather than later.

Team Spirit

One of the major strengths of this Bermuda squad has always been team spirit. They pray together before and after matches, they seem to enjoy each other's company and they work hard for each other on the field.

It is important that, amid the wrangling over contracts, the exclusion of O'Brien and the talk of disharmony with the board, that no-one loses sight of that team ethos.

Bermuda is better if they play as one.

Logie is backing his players to be professional and put the off-the-field issues out of their mind when they take to the field.

Steve Tikolo

If Bermuda is to beat Kenya then this is the one guy they have to target above all else.

Probably the best cricketer outside of the Test playing nations, Tikolo, blasted a superb double-century the last time the two sides met in the Intercontinental Cup.

The fact that the 35-year-old Kenyan skipper had played 79 full one-day-internationals (the majority against Test nations) and notched up 17 half-centuries tells you something about the difference in experience between Bermuda and the Kenyans.

But Logie is not cowed by the prospect of facing such a formidable batting talent.

"We have watched videos of the Kenyans and we have plans for all their players.

"Someone like Tikolo is obviously a key wicket. We know what he can do and he is certainly someone that we will be targeting."

David Hemp, who played with Tikolo at Swansea cricket club, could also have some crucial insight into how to topple the master batsman.

The openers

The perennial problem at the top of the order remains one of the big issues for coach Logie to resolve before the World Cup.

As many as 14 players have been tried in that position since Logie took over, less than two years ago.

Very few have made an impact, with opening partnerships often struggling even to make double figures.

Kwame Tucker and Stephen Outerbridge showed enough patience and determination in the Americas Championship to suggest they could be the answer.

But despite their individual success (Tucker stroked an unbeaten century while Outerbridge was out in the 90s) they have yet to post a decent partnership.

"It's important that we have a right and left hand combination and these two young men have learned and improved as they have gone along. We hope they will continue to grow in confidence and stature and we will give them all the backing they need.

"There are other options in the squad but at this point in time, those two are favourites."

Sledging

As Bermuda found when they faced Namibia last year, Africa, and indeed any intense international cricket arena can be a tough place to be.

They walked off the field after receiving abuse from the Namibians, but may have to handle more of the same kind of verbal abuse this time around.

How they handle the sledging could be crucial to their success.

"It's something we have talked about and the players know what to expect and what is expected of them.

"People may say things you don't understand, they may say things you don't like, but you have to stay focused and in control. You have to understand that they are doing it to upset your game and you can't allow that to happen.

"We have done a lot of yoga work and we are quite positive about it - but then it's always different when you get in the middle."

If all else fails, at least Bermuda has assistant coach Herbie Bascome along. The former St George's Cup Match skipper could offer a few tips to the boys on how to give as good as they get!

The Academy Factor

While the majority of Bermuda's players have been training at home, four of our top guys have been out in South Africa, involved in an intensive training academy put together by the ICC.

One-day skipper Irving Romaine, pace bowler Kevin Hurdle, opener Kwame Tucker and promising young seamer Stefan Kelly have been working with some of the top coaches in the game.

Rod Marsh, the Aussie wicket-keeper who headed up the Australian and English coaching academies, former South Africa skipper Kepler Wessels and fellow Proteas' legend Gary Kirsten, who was here for the Cricket Classic, are among the coaches who have worked with the players.

With everything from 6.30am fitness testing, to specialist skills work from the elite group of coaches, improvement is expected from the four players.

"We sent the players down to Pretoria to improve their game, their fitness and their conditioning.

"The level has to continue to rise."

The group should add an injection of enthusiasm and dynamism to the squad. They'll also have a few scouting tips to share on the Kenyans, Canadians and Dutch cricketers that they have encountered.

Fitness

It's been a touchy subject for some time with Bermuda's cricketers ridiculed, sometimes unfairly, for their lack of athleticism.

But with a schedule of two four-day games and seven one-day internationals in four different locations over the course of the one month tour, there is no doubt that fitness is going to be an issue.

How will our players last four days of toil in the intense African heat?

Logie is unequivocal in his response - the team are ready.

Aside from a two-week break after the Americas' victory they've been in full-time training, with the initial emphasis on fitness and conditioning.

And he is keen to point out that public perception does not always match up to reality when it comes to his players.

"A case in point is Sluggo. He may not be able to run for miles and miles so people think he is unfit, but he can bowl 44 overs in a day, and that is what we may need him to do.

"There are different types of fitness and people should be aware of that when they look at people and say they are unfit.

"The guys have done a lot of work, I can vouch for that, and I can tell you they will last four days."[[In-content Ad]]

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