January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.

Every player believes they belong in the squad


By Lionel Cann- | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

This last tour to the UAE was something positive for Bermuda cricket considering how much negative publicity we have received in the past couple of years.

We’ve now moved into this transitional period with several new players involved with the team.

We’ve really turned it around in six months. Back then we lost to the UAE 5-0. We beat that same team by eight wickets.

This is a real positive turnaround with coach David Moore reaping the benefits.

It’s positive for him and it’s positive for Bermuda cricket.

I am hoping that it won’t take a lot more to please the Bermuda public.

We set such a high standard by qualifying for the 2007 World Cup that people need to celebrate the smaller successes too.

That’s true off the field too. Sometimes we only celebrate the big successes in life when we should be celebrating the smaller achievements too.

This tour was a major accomplishment — it, obviously, isn’t as big as qualifying for the World Cup, but it’s worth celebrating.

It was one of the better tours that I’ve been involved with while I have been on the national team and that just isn’t with the victories on the field.

The players just really connected with each other.

We spent a lot of time in each other’s rooms bonding and sharing good laughs together.

It’s without a doubt one of the better teams I’ve been a part of.

Part of that has to deal with many of the players in the team are from a similar background so we could relate well to each other.

For a lack of a better word, Most of us have come from a hard background.

This is a hard group of guys.

We’ve had our struggles.

Most of the guys are single and don’t have children.

Previous tours had several married guys with all the single guys.

I was pleased that coach had some nice things to say about me.

I feel like I have a new lease with a new coach.

Coach Moore is an excellent coach.

He is the type of coach who does pay attention to what the players have to say and will listen to their views.

Former coach Gus Logie and I didn’t get along.

I see coach Moore’s views and he sees mine.

We have a lot of respect for each other.

I feel comfortable in being able to tell him how I feel and what I think.

That doesn’t mean he’ll agree with me, but he will at least listen to me and that makes me feel I can be open with him.

He’s a very strict coach and I buy into his programme.

If I don’t like something, he doesn’t hold it against me if I tell him.

I can say what I have to say. He’ll explain why he wants to do something a certain way.

I trust his judgment.

All the players can feel free to let him know how they feel.

It helps foster a lot of respect for coach because we don’t have to hide our feelings from him.

At the same time, once we’ve said what we had to say and he’s listened and considered it, he does expect us to get on with what needs to be done regardless of what he ultimately decides.

This tour has opened up a renewed debate over position battles and that’s a good thing.

Guys can’t be complacent and expect to be handed a position, no matter who they are.

Our young players really had some fine moments of glory and this will help push all of us to strive to be the best we can be.

Guys will be battling for places.

No slacking off

Stephen (Outerbridge) is a class player and couldn’t be with us because of injury.

There’s no doubt that if he’s healed from his injury, he has to be considered as one of the top players on the team because he’s a class player.

But none of us can afford to take our foot off the pedal.

All the guys from this tour come back believing they are good enough to play international cricket for Bermuda.

There’s no doubt in their minds because it was proven against the UAE.

Coach has talked with each of us to help us perform better at this level.

No one can slack off from training. No one can just walk in and be handed a squad spot.

It’s going to be good to have this competition for team places.

Everyone has to give 100 per cent in training.

With the good coach and the good support staff, everything is positive right now. n

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