'Bermuda needs to play more cricket'

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30: Greater exposure to international competition could hold the key for Bermuda to start rising up the cricketing ranks.

That is the view of Mike Griffith, chairman of the MCC Cricket Committee, who is visiting the island with the MCC team.

Mr Griffith told the Bermuda Sun that smaller cricketing nations benefitted hugely from a fuller international schedule.

And he said the away fixtures would help players gain valuable experience as well as improve their techniques and attitudes.

 He said: “It would be beneficial to encourage more international cricket for the Bermuda team.

“The team needs to go abroad and play more cricket and that is when you really make progress as a team as well as individuals.

“I have seen a lot of support for the game here and I would not be depressed or pessimistic about the future. There are a lot of talented young cricketers around at the moment.

“Perhaps they need a little bit more commitment and discipline but there is certainly enthusiasm.

“We might be able to have some of these players back to the UK and involve them in the youth set up we have. It would be incredibly good for them.”

Mr Griffith said that in order to encourage young players good cricket wickets were a must in Bermuda.

He added: “We have not been here long enough to judge the wickets.

“But if I was running cricket in Bermuda I would concentrate really hard on the quality of the wickets.

“Even at Lords, where the MCC is based, we worry about the wicket.

“It has to be true and give encouragement to both the bowlers and the batsmen.

“That way you get proper contests and it is a good test of the individuals’ skills.”

This season the Bermuda cricket league has been plagued by a series of high profile player bans and incidents of verbal abuse of umpires. Mr Griffith told the Bermuda Sun that the players themselves had to be responsible for their own behaviour on the field and should remember that they are role models for the younger generations

He said: “The clubs also have to be responsible for their players. In England the clubs are fined and the players miss important games — and that means incidents of abuse and bad behaviour are relatively rare.

“The shorter version of the game has made some players more hot-headed — but we are determined that cricket remains a game where the umpires are respected. There is no place for intimidation or insulting umpires.

“There is a responsibility on the senior players and a strong captain is essential to stamp out that kind of behaviour.

“It begins at school level with teachers and coaches instilling the right virtues in the young players and it goes all the way through to the clubs. In the games we have played there has been no bad behaviour. The games have been played in the right spirit. Bermuda can deal with this problem if you go to the clubs and schools and get the message out correctly.”