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

IPL talent scouts could snag Bermudian cricketers

IPL talent scouts could snag Bermudian cricketers
IPL talent scouts could snag Bermudian cricketers

By James [email protected] | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

Bermuda skipper Irving Romaine reckons scouts from the billion-dollar Indian Premier League could be watching the World Cup 20-20 qualifier in Belfast next week.

Romaine said his players should be commended for choosing country over Cup Match and predicted their performances in Ireland could open up a world of opportunity.

He said players like batsman OJ Pitcher, fast bowler George O'Brien and spinner Rodney Trott - all of whom would have been dead certs for Cup Match - had the chance to show they were capable of bigger and better things.

"It's very exciting that these guys are choosing their country, finally, over Cup Match. "They can see what's in store for them at international level and the opportunities that are there.

"It's exciting. There could be IPL scouts at this 20-20. The sky's the limit for our young players and they are realizing the avenues that could open up for them through cricket."

The 20-20 game is new to Bermuda, with most of the squad having played no more than one international. But Romaine believes it is the future of the game and the format that will open up the most opportunities for our players to go pro.

"There's not only the IPL but the PPL (Pakistan Premier League) is supposed to start so they're all going to be looking for players.

"All you need is a good tournament and they could decide to take a chance on you - it's 20-20, anything can happen."

The most important challenge for Bermuda, though, is to win one of the three places up for grabs at the 20-20 World Cup.

"Since Zimbabwe pulled out there is that extra spot to play for. If we finish third we qualify for the 20-20 World Cup and we have the chance to play against the stars of cricket again. It's exciting."

The squad has been in full-time training this week in a bid to adapt from the four-day mentality to the shorter form of the game.

"It's a challenge for some of us. The younger players were just getting get gist of batting long and now we are turning right around and telling them to start hitting the ball again.

"We don't have the pool of players like some of the other countries where we can have specialists.

"But if we have the right mental approach we can make the change. These guys are doing wonderful. Their work ethic is amazing. We have to take a different approach (from previous 20-20 games). We don't have our natural hard hitters like Lionel Cann and Janeiro Tucker, but we do have the younger stroke players like Stephen and OJ who can pick off ones and twos every ball."

The squad has been playing batsman v bowlers training matches this week, with a couple of practice matches against Police planned later in the week.

And Romaine believes they are much better prepared than they were for the two disastrous Stanford 20-20 campaigns, where they lost heavily to Guyana and Jamaica.

"We are on a more level playing field because we are actually playing cricket. When we went to Stanford, it was the middle of football season and we didn't even have a field to train on.

"We've got our cricket legs now. We've seen the likes of Scotland. They have a couple of county players but they are on a par with us.

"They might have beat us in the four-day but they are going to have to play some shots this time."[[In-content Ad]]

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