January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
A new beginning for Bermuda
Gus Logie prepares to coach for the last time as team readies itself for Uganda
Logie ran the rule over new-look Bermuda at training yesterday as preparations for the visit of Uganda next week got under way.
And the Trinidadian coach insists there is life after Janeiro Tucker, Lionel Cann, Dwayne Leverock and, indeed, himself.
Logie had cut an unusually dejected figure after Bermuda's failure to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa.
He spoke out about the lack of desire and hunger of certain key players and surprised no one by confirming his decision not to renew his contract as coach shortly afterwards.
But now, as he prepares to move on, he sees some of the seeds he helped to plant starting to bear fruit, with a host of new graduates from the Under-19s coming in to replace the old guard.
"It is another new series and I'm just as excited as when I first came. I look around and I see some of the young fellas out here and I feel good that there are still youngsters who want to go out there and put their talent and their skill on the line at the higher level.
"There are always reasons to be positive."
Terryn Fray, the captain of Bermuda's Under-19 sides, and left arm quick Kevon Fubler are two of the reasons Logie is feeling a bit more cheerful about the island's prospects.
Fray, a traditional style opener with the temperament for the longer format is expected to make his debut in the four-day Intercontinental Shield.
The youngster was equally optimistic about Bermuda's future.
"We've got a lot of good young players in the squad. Hopefully we can show the island we mean business over the next couple of years.
"The bulk of this squad could be together for the next ten years."
Logie hopes the likes of Fray and Fubler and their peers will stick with it long enough to create a pool of players for his successor to choose from for years to come.
Part of his legacy has been to help establish a conveyer belt of talent from the Under-19s to the senior squad. And he believes he will leave the Bermuda national team in better shape than he found it.
It is no accident that the core of the squad for next week's fixtures - including Malachi Jones, Rodney Trott, Chris Douglas and Jordan DeSilva - came through the Under-19 programme.
"These are some of the youngsters that the cricket board has invested in for a number of seasons now.
"They have had quite a bit of experience at this level and we are looking forward to them doing well.
"This is the succession plan that the board has put in place. We've always been keen to introduce young players to the squad.
"Now you have the likes of Stephen (Outerbridge), Jekon (Edness), Rodney Trott - they are now the senior players."
Logie insists that the result is not everything for Bermuda in the Uganda series but he accepts that some winning momentum would be nice.
"Right now every game we play is important. It is about assessing where we are at and planning for the future.
"You've heard players in the past saying 'we're tired of losing', they get dejected. We are trying to make sure they enjoy what they are doing and winning is part of that.
"Nothing breeds success like success."
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