---

Dear Mr. Adrian Robson,

After reading the article in today's Royal Gazette (April 25) on the front page (pg 17) of the Sports section, I feel an overwhelming sense of duty to set the record straight for Mr. Sam Stevens and anyone else that may have read his article and believed all the contents of it including Mr. Brunson.

Knowing Mr. Stevens as I do, it disturbs me to think he would write such untruths without fully verifying their accuracy.

I cannot speak for everyone that Mr. Stevens has listed in the "all expenses paid" category but I can speak for the Chairman of Selectors, Mr. Arnold Manders as it was me, his wife, who booked and paid for his first class ticket.

Furthermore, he did not stay in a room paid for by the Bermuda Cricket Board at the Hilton as Mr. Stevens incorrectly reported nor was he given any spending money for his daily expenses.

I also know for a fact that neither Mr. Fray, Mr. Thomas nor Mr. Richardson stayed at the Hilton at the BCB's expense nor did Mr. Thomas travel first class on the BCB's dime. I know this because I too was there, and NO the Bermuda Cricket Board did not pay my way either!

I would also like it known that for years, before the $11 million dollars, when no-one cared about how the BCB got by financially, including our Government; Arnold was always giving to Bermuda's cricket for absolutely free.

He has never expected any form of payment and has given freely of his time and knowledge because of his love for his Country and the future of cricket in Bermuda.

In fact, as the Coach for the U19's he has been training three times a week since January and he will be spending in excess of almost six weeks this summer taking them to Barbados for the Sir Garfield Sobers Tournament and then to Toronto for the U19 America's Regional World Cup qualifiers.

All of this, he has done for years and for free!

Just know that $11 million is NOT what motivates Arnold to do what he does for cricket and Bermuda and, as someone that knows him well, I resent the implication that he was given an "all expenses paid" vacation with our tax payers money.

Others went free

I would also question why Mr. Stevens did not investigate who paid for our Premier, his entourage, previous Bermuda captains, the team's wives and The 'Dream Team' (previous Bermuda Cricketers) to attend the World Cup?

In case you did not know Mr. Stevens, we, the taxpayers paid for them to attend. No-one pointed a derogatory finger at the Government for their kindness, so why are we pointing a finger at the Bermuda Cricket Board for allegedly doing the same thing?

Furthermore, if the Bermuda Cricket Board did in fact pay for the Executive Committee to go at the ICC's invitation, then why should they not show their continued appreciation to the people that have given freely of their time and worked diligently for years for nothing in return to get Bermuda where we are today by paying for them to go?

For goodness sakes, can't we stop being so negative and open our eyes!

WE, Bermuda, made it into the World Cup!!!!

Stand up and be proud of what we have accomplished and, instead of attacking the people that have assisted us in getting there, let's be thankful to them!

It is time that we stop promoting bad publicity for Bermuda!

I understand that as an employee of The Royal Gazette it is your job to sell papers, but remember, good publicity sells papers too Mr. Stevens.

Yours truly,

Mrs. Robin L. Manders

Wife of chairman of selectors Mr. Arnold Manders

and longtime supporter of Bermuda Cricket

This letter was sent to The Royal Gazette and forwarded to the Bermuda Sun. Robin Manders asked us to run this to set the record straight.[[In-content Ad]]

---