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Bermuda's cricketers embark tomorrow on an intensive month-long training tour of the Caribbean.

By the time they return to the island they will have contested 13 matches, worked with some of the greats of West Indies cricket and will be expected to be in 'tournament shape' for South Africa.

Coach Gus Logie said there could be 'no excuses' about preparation this time around, with the 20-man squad having the 'ideal' build-up to the World Cup qualifiers.

With a two-week acclimatisaltion training camp also planned in Pretoria, Logie believes his squad will be among the best prepared of the Associate nations when the tournament begins in early April.

"The board understands the magnitude of the challenge that we face and has been very supportive of us doing everything we need to do.

"This takes away any excuse of not being properly prepared. It's up to the players now to realize their true potential."

He added that Bermuda have a 'head start' on some of their rivals like Holland and Scotland have been forced to rely on sending a handful of key players to overseas camps, though Kenya will play a five-match warm-up series with Zimbabwe.

For Bermuda, the road to Johannesburg begins on Sunday against Trinidad Under-23s at the national cricket centre in Couva.

Logie, who used his extensive Caribbean contacts to hook up the four-week tour, which will also see Bermuda visit St. Vincent, St. Lucia and Grenada, said a heavy emphasis had been put on match practice.

"I think we have got to get out there and play. The bowlers need to start letting fly and the batsmen need to fully extend their arms.

"The nets is restricting. We need to see them out there in game situations, getting some fresh air in their bodies and feeling the atmosphere of cricket again...

"When we go to South Africa we'll be facing back-to-back games, three games in three days at times and we've tried to simulate that intensity with the schedule on this tour.

"When you talk about a practice session it is different mentally to playing a game. We need to get mentally ready to play."

Bermuda will play four games in a week in Trindad before sweeping through the Windward Islands, playing three games in each island.

The tour will be the last chance for any of the fringe players to force their way into the final squad and Logie expects competition for places to keep the players on their toes.

"Certain players have booked their place in the squad but the selectors are keeping as open minded as possible. We want the best 15 players to represent Bermuda.

"Any game you play you want to do your best. It's about going out there and building an innings and picking themselves. They've got to make sure they put their names on the selection sheet."

The coach will be looking to players like Chris Douglas, Rodney Trott and Tamauri Tucker to turn their obvious potential into consistently good performances.

And he said the squad would be able to call on some of his former peers in West Indies cricket, like fast bowler Brendan Julian, in Trinidad, and wicket-keeper junior Murray, in Grenada, to supplement their training.

"There's a lot of players that have said they are open to working with us. When we are in Couva we always see the national players come around - the Gangas, the Ramdins - it's always good to see how those professional players prepare themselves."

Logie added the whole atmosphere of the Caribbean during cricket season should inspire the players and help them dust off the cobwebs of the winter off-season.

"It's cricket season down there right now - the regional competition is going on, there's a Test series going on. It's a whole different atmosphere in the Caribbean when it's cricket season."[[In-content Ad]]

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