January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
The best is yet to come for our cricket team
I boldly predicted that they would surprise everyone and do well in the World League Division One championship, which I believe was in reality our World Cup.
Unfortunately, that did not turn out to be the case and we ended up finishing last though victory in our final match against Scotland ensured that we didn't get whitewashed.
During an interview prior to the tournament Bermuda skipper Irving Romaine said: "Basically this is a time for us to judge ourselves against the other Associate members that have qualified to see exactly where we stand.
Our goals were to win the Americas championship and then strive to be the best among the Associate members".
Well the team left, the matches were played and we now understand in no uncertain terms where we stand!
I have accepted the fact that this team has gone just about as far as it is going to go. Unlike Minister of Sports Randy Horton, coach Gus Logie or skipper Irving Romaine, I do not foresee the possibility of our players pulling off an upset against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or India at the World Cup (as much as I would love to see them do so). Having said that, I do not believe we should be too harsh in our assessment of this team in fact we should be grateful to them.
After all if it wasn't for their magnificent performance in Ireland a couple of years ago we wouldn't be going to the World Cup in the first place. Government wouldn't have felt the need to invest $11 million in cricket and I sincerely doubt whether we would have seen $15 million poured into football.
These players deserve their 'props' for taking this little speck in the middle of the Atlantic with a pool of around 300 cricketers and putting us on the world stage! They have already made history!
Every Bermudian should make a real effort to watch Bermuda's World Cup matches, like other major sporting events i.e. the Super Bowl and the World Cup, it provides a great opportunity for friends and family to get together, but also allows us the unique opportunity to support our very own team at a major sporting event.
Our cricket administrators should at this stage really be looking beyond the World Cup, towards the next ICC Trophy competition (our World Cup qualifiers) in 2009.
We must ensure that we build on the platform laid by the present squad and properly prepare the youngsters to take our cricket to the next level.
I would suggest that national coach Gus Logie play an active role in coaching the under-19 national squad currently preparing for their own world cup qualifiers this summer.
Why? Because they are the pool from which we should be looking to draw our players for the next world cup bid therefore the sooner our national coach can work with them the better.
Andre 'Doc' Manders should assist him with Richard Basden assigned as manager. In terms of financial and other resources, these players should be given top priority. Clevie Wade and Arnold Manders who are presently involved with the under-19s can quite easily be moved up to the senior squad.
Recently Logie referred to youngster Malachi Jones as a 'revelation', but he should understand that there are a number of other young players who, if provided with the proper coaching and exposure, are just as talented. Simply put we must identify, develop and groom this talent in preparation for the 2009 ICC.
Coach Logie can do it but we must be prepared to give him the time he needs to do so and he must in turn exercise patience, build for the future recognizing that the best is yet to come![[In-content Ad]]
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