'A very, very sad day for Bermuda cricket'

‘A national disgrace.’

This is the way former Somerset Cup Match bowler George Bremar summed up Bermuda’s World Cricket League (WCL) Division Two meltdown in Dubai.

Along with Uganda, Bermuda were relegated to the WCL Division Three with a dismal 1-4 record.

Bremar said this is unacceptable for a team that not too long ago made its first ICC World Cup appearance.

“We were way on top of the cricket world but these guys have degraded Bermuda - this is a national disgrace.

“These guys are going all around the world but are not doing anything but disgracing Bermuda’s cricket.”

Bremar said Bermuda’s cricketers have no one else to blame for coming up short in Dubai but themselves.

He added: “It’s got to be a lack of concentration, discipline and application. The common sense doesn’t seem to be there.”

Former St George’s Cup Match star Dennis Wainwright said the commitment from Bermuda’s players left much to be desired.

“We don’t have the players with the commitment anymore and this is where we are lacking.

“A lot of the players are on the team for the trip and I’m very disappointed because I expected for us to win at least two matches.

“The coach can only do so much. When you get on the pitch this is where you have to use the things you have been taught, and so I can only blame the players.

“You can have the best names on paper but if the players are not prepared to give one hundred per cent then we are lost.”

The former star wicketkeeper also took issue with Bermuda’s batting approach.

He said: “Everybody wants to hit the ball to the boundary but you can only hit the ball to the boundary on smaller grounds or when the bowling is weak.

“When the bowling is tight you have to learn how to run between the wicket — and this is where we are also lacking.”

Former fast bowler Lee Raynor feels Bermuda’s demise in the Middle East has more to do with an over indulgence of limited overs cricket than anything else.

He reckons the shorter version of the game deprives players the opportunity to learn the fundamentals.

“Overs cricket seems to have confused everybody. Our whole philosophy of the game has gotten confused in limited overs cricket.”

As for Bermuda being relegated to the WCL Division Three, the former St. George’s Cup Match fast bowler said: “This is a very, very sad day for Bermuda cricket —especially for our youngsters coming through.” n