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I am sure that many of the island's cricketers were pleased to hear chairman of selectors Arnold Manders state that the door for national team selection remains open to those who show commitment to the national cause, perform consistently in domestic cricket and stay out of trouble.

This effectively means that players can still challenge for a place in Bermuda's national team safe in the knowledge that they will not be overlooked.

I was a little surprise that Manders would go so far as to say that, “Right now we have a core squad and unless others on the outside do something superlative to get in, then that's it for now….” Considering the obvious weaknesses in this squad it would be utter ‘fullishness’, pardon my 'Bermudianism' to close the door to any promising aspirants. While the team's middle order batting appears solid and the spinners good enough one can hardly say the same about the rest of the team.

For instance no one who has been tried in the top three batting positions of the side has proved consistent.

Our fast bowling attack has run hot and cold, with perhaps Saleem Mukadeem being the only steady performer hopefully young George O'Brien will help to solve this problem, his first match against Canada was certainly impressive!

The selectors must also take into account that there is no guarantee that master batsman Clay Smith will return and even if he returns that his injury will not reoccur. A dodgy knee is not something to be taken lightly.

David Hemp our Glamorgan county batsman has hardly set the world alight with his performances in the England county championship thus far this season, so question marks remain there.

Now one idea that I am certain would help to more smoothly facilitate the introduction of promising players to the national squad is the putting into place of a Bermuda A team. This team would be made up of those players who the selectors believe have the ability to make it to the top.

They could be coached by Gus Logie on the days he is not working with the senior team. For instance if the national squad trains on Tuesdays and Thursdays, then the A team would train on Mondays and Wednesdays. With the huge financial resources at its disposal the BCB could also send this team on one or two cricket tours.

The establishment of a Bermuda A team is I believe important for the following reasons:

* It would help to encourage and develop fringe players who have ability but for one reason or another have not been selected for the national team.

* It would provide the national selectors with a pool of players to select from in the event of injuries, unavailability etc.,

* It would help to ensure that those in the national team do not get complacent because they would see there are others to replace them.

* It would allow national team selectors to see what players other than those selected for the national team can do when properly prepared.

* It would ensure that there is a squad readily available to provide the national squad with practice matches when need be.

* It would prove to all cricketers playing in Bermuda that the selectors are serious in their endeavour to give all deserving cricketers a fair chance at making the national team.[[In-content Ad]]

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