January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Lionel: I'm backing Irving as skipper 150 per cent
Cann, who has made no secret of his desire to captain Bermuda, said he understood why the selectors had opted for Romaine and backed him '150 per cent'.
"We need positive thoughts. It's nice when people say they want me to be captain but right now it's time to be positive and back Irving Romaine and the team as we try to win back the Americas Championship."
Cann admitted it would be 'the ultimate' for him to captain his country, but he said he had no qualms about playing under Romaine.
The St. George's Cup Match skipper was speaking after Romaine took the unusual step of publically defending his captaincy in a letter to the Royal Gazette, following calls for Cann to be given the job instead.
He wrote "I am a captain who has earned respect. I am not a person who blows his own horn and then demands it." He went on to tout his 100 per cent attendance record in training and his first class centuries as further evidence of his suitability for the job. Romaine added: "Game after game I sit in a changing room opposite some of Bermudas best players. As captain I know who has put in the work and is ready for battle, and the ones that just want the prestige of saying: "I play for the National Squad."
"Do you know how hard it is to keep a boat straight when one side is rowing as a team, and the other side is a bunch of individuals who want to do what they want?
"The sad part of this is that we as a country are judged by performance, which causes selectors to pick people on their name rather than on heart, determination, and commitment."
Cann, who took a break from international cricket for personal reasons this summer, insisted he was fully committed to the cause. And he added that it was time for the team and the country to come together and support Bermuda's World Cup bid, regardless of who led the team.
"Like Irving said after every tour the captaincy is up for grabs. All I have said is that if it does become available and the cricket board sees fit then of course I'd be interested. That's the pinnacle - everyone should want to captain their country.
"But Irving Romaine has been selected as captain and he has my full support.
"It's flattering to have people say I should be captain but we need people to back the team and to back Irving. We just need to support each other and try and win the Americas Cup."
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