January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
World Cup selection: Time running out for players to force their way onto the Bermuda national team
It’s just over a year since Gus Logie took charge of the national team, and just less than 12 months before his side takes on Sri Lanka in their opening World Cup match.
During his tenure the coach has selected a total of 30 players. He currently has a training squad of 33 players for 2006. Only 14 will travel to the West Indies.
Logie has been loyal to a core group of around ten players, who have featured in virtually every squad, with the rest apparently competing for four places.
Much could change over the next ten months, but there is little time left for any newcomers to force their way into the World Cup reckoning.
Here's a player-by-player guide to Bermuda's top cricketers and a look at what they have to do to secure their places.
n Clay Smith: Has been on the injury list on and off for the past 12 months but has remained part of the squad and will travel with them to Trinidad.
Smith is such an important player for Bermuda that it is inconceivable that he won’t travel to the West Indies next March.
He is set to return from injury in the next couple of months and provided all goes smoothly he’ll skipper the side to its first World Cup.
n Janeiro Tucker: Arguably our best batsman, Tucker's thumping century against the U.S. got Bermuda to the World Cup and earned him the coveted Athlete of the Year title.
He has a knack of scoring important runs when it counts and along with Clay Smith he provides a solid backbone in the middle-order. Should keep the vice-captain's role for the competition.
n Irving Romaine: A wonderfully clean hitter of the ball who has developed from a player who could do a bit of everything to a specialist middle-order batsman. Showed he can handle the captaincy in the recent 20-20 tournament and the tour of Trinidad. Is working on improving his concentration at the wicket to turn those 50s and 60s into match-winning hundreds.
One of the mainstays of the squad and a certainty for the World Cup.
n Saleem Mukuddem: Hasn’t excelled with the bat in recent matches but the South-African is one of the more solid and circumspect players in the line-up.
His ability to operate as a frontline strike bowler gives Bermuda an extra-option and he will be selected as much for his bowling as for his batting.
A Logie-favourite, Mukuddem has played every game he has been available during the coach's tenure and it would be a major shock if he didn't go to Trinidad in 2007.
n Dean Minors: The veteran wicket-keeper has also been one of Bermuda’s most consistent batsman over the past 12 months.
Not only that he seems to perform at his best when it matters most. On recent form he would be worth his place in the side as a batsman alone.
May even start as opener if some of Logie's recent experimenting in 20-20 games is anything to go by.
His keeping is tidy and he is a lively presence behind the stumps.
n Lionel Cann: Bermuda’s most explosive hitter, Lionel Cann can be relied upon to provide quick-runs at the end of the innings.
A crowd favourite, who has also operated, with less success, as a pinch-hitter further up the order.
His whirlwind batting style makes him a devastatingly effective player in the one-day format and he is a certain starter. Also a tidy back-up seam bowler.
Dominated the domestic cricket season with Southampton Rangers and was voted MVP last year.
n Dwayne Leverock: Sluggo just gets better and better. Consistently Bermuda’s most effective bowler over the past year the big left-arm spinner is the mainstay of the attack.
He’s economical, takes wickets and is a lively and popular presence in the team. He’s not a bad fielder either, for a big fella.
n Hasan Durham: He failed to make the ICC Trophy squad and the veteran left-arm spinner missed out on a piece of Bermuda history. He has played virtually every match since then and has become Bermuda's Mr Reliable with his economical slow bowling. It seems likely that Durham will more than make up for the disappointment of missing out in Ireland by being a regular starter in Trini. His spot on the roster could be challenged by Delyone Bordon who brings variety to the spinner role.
n Ryan Steede: Along with Kevin Hurdle, Steede is one of two specialist seamers who have featured regularly under Logie.
He’s gone on every tour he has been available and if the squad were selected tomorrow he would almost certainly be the first-choice opening bowler.
Steede’s performed better than Hurdle lately, but both could be bumped from the squad if any of the young seamers impress.
n Kevin Hurdle: Suffered a run of bad form which culminated in being spanked for more than 70 runs in four overs in the 20-20 Classic final, drawing stinging reports from the international media. In a veiled reference to Hurdle, Logie appeared to give him the thumbs up by saying “Form is temporary, class is permanent.
His recent blip aside, Hurdle has been one of Bermuda’s most consistent fast bowlers over the years. He’s still probably a first choice fast bowler but will need to recover some of the form of last year.
n OJ Pitcher: Opened for Bermuda during the ICC Trophy but was then left out of the St George’s Cup Match team and has slipped off the international radar since. He’s back in the squad for Trinidad as a stand-by player and will travel to England in June. He’ll need some runs there to re-establish himself as a top World Cup prospect.
No one’s locked down the opener spots so OJ’s still got a good chance if he can put up some better than respectable numbers.
n Jekon Edness: The young Western Stars wicket-keeper has improved steadily over the past year and is the likely long-term successor to Dean Minors behind the stumps.
Has had limited success with Bermuda with the bat and may miss out as deputy gloveman to Kwame Tucker this time.
n David Hemp: Without doubt Hemp, the Brit who made himself available for Bermuda to a mixed-response last year, has the most experience of top-level cricket of all those up for selection.
He’s had an indifferent start to the English county season with Glamorgan and has yet to play for Bermuda. He's not even eligible until October.
Despite those factors it’s impossible to imagine Logie ignoring someone of his proven class and experience, particularly given the lengths the BCB has gone to, to ensure his eligibility.
He may well end up opening the innings for Bermuda at West Indies 2007.
n Daniel Morgan: The physio turned frontline batsman remains on the fringes of the starting XI.
He’s played a lot recently but the suspicion remains that if Logie had everyone fit and available, Morgan would still be carrying the magic sponge.
That said, he’s made the most of his opportunity - and in the 20-20 tournament in particular, he looked every bit a first-class batsman.
n Delyone Borden: Making a return to the Bermuda squad for the Trinidad tour after a lengthy lay-off at college in the states, Delyone has some work to do to make the World Cup squad.
Played a part in Ireland but was more successful with the ball than the bat.
Much will depend on how he performs over the next few months, and how much time he can dedicate to cricket in the run-up to the World Cup.
With Leverock nailed on as the first-choice spinner and a strong-looking middle-order batting line-up, Borden has to hope his ‘all-rounder’ status could help him edge out Durham as the second-spinner or help him stake a claim for the opener’s slot he filled, with little success, at the ICC Trophy.
n Azeem Pitcher: Pitcher’s winter commitment at the ICC’s training academy in South Africa is starting to pay dividends. He’s a player the BCB has invested in and of the four that went to Johannesburg (Outerbridge, Edness and West were the others) he looks the closest to the finished product. A half-century at the Trinidad training camp and a good knock in the 20-20 make him a solid prospect. Will need some big scores or injuries to key players to force his way into a strong middle-order batting line-up though.
n Stefan Kelly: Kelly’s youth puts him at a disadvantage but the fact that he is playing regular high-level cricket should more than compensate. He’s performed admirably when he has been available for Bermuda and if he continues to improve as he has been doing, surely he will go to the West Indies.The competition is likely to heat up over the next few months for the seam-bowling slots and the likes of Kelly and O’Brien will need to turn in some good displays to challenge Kevin Hurdle and Ryan Steede as the first-choice pacemen.
n George O’Brien: Arguably Bermuda’s fastest bowler. O’Brien has explosive pace, aggression and an ability to pick up wickets — factors that looked in short supply at some stages during the 20-20 Classic.
He’s almost certain to make his Bermuda debut over the next couple of weeks and much will depend on how he does. A couple of good performances could shake-up the seam bowling pecking order and put him right in the frame. He’s still young and his maturity and temperament are questionmarks, but the board sent him to Australia and believe he has overcome some of the problems which plagued him last year. Could give Bermuda an extra-edge.
n Treadwell Gibbons: A recent addition to the squad after returning from Scotland with a glowing recommendation from former Bermuda great Clarence Parfitt.
Gibbons performed well in Trinidad and has been given another chance to show what he can do against Zimbabwe and Canada. He’s looked good for Western Stars in the early domestic season and could be a prospect for the problem opener slot.
n Stephen Outerbridge: Has opened the batting for Bermuda with mixed results. Is away at school in Wales at the moment and travelled to South Africa last year for the ICC cricket academy.
Has shown dedication and commitment to improve. If he can translate his obvious talent to the international arena then he has a big future at the top of the order.
n Jacobi Robinson: After playing a part towards the end of last year Robinson seems to have fallen off the radar. He was left out of the Trinidad training camp and the 20-20 Classic with failure to attend practices cited as the reason.
There have been whispers of a move to Scotland and he had a blistering start to the domestic season. His ability with the bat gives him an edge on some of the other seam bowlers but he does not appear to be one of the main contenders at the moment.
n Jim West: After travelling to South Africa for the ICC academy and then making the UAE tour, West is back playing for Bailey's Bay and following Bermuda's progress on the Internet, like the rest of us.
A solid medium pacer, he lacks the pace of some of his seam-bowling rivals. His performances for Bermuda have been tidy, if not spectacular.
Will still hope to make the cut, but has a lot to do.
n Kwame Tucker: Has forced his way into the side as an opening batsman and impressed with a good knock in the Classic against West Indies.
His ability to deputise for Dean Minors with the gloves could ultimately be what secures his place in the squad. He regularly keeps for Rangers and did the job ably for Somerset at Cup Match.
n Stephen Bremar: The most established of a crop of talented young players on the fringes of the national team. Bremar had a decent tour of Trinidad and was included in the Classic squad, though he did not play. He won’t travel to Trinidad or England this time, though, and is a more likely to emerge as a national team regular for 2009 ICC Trophy and beyond.
n Chris Foggo: Was one of the top domestic batsmen for St David's last year and travelled to the ICC Trophy in Ireland. Failure to turn up to training has apparently curbed his involvement and he now looks an unlikely choice for 2007.
n Mackie Crane: A fastbowler for St. David’s, Crane is on the outside looking in. There are too many seamers ahead of him so the next chance he gets, he really needs to be on the mark to even be considered.
n Sammy Robinson: A top all-rounder for St. David’s . he hasn’t had the opportunity to shine in international duty.
n Rodney Trott: Bailey’s Bay very promsing off-spin bowler. An injury has hurt his chances to be selected. This youngster has captained Bermuda’s Under-15s and and was vice-captain for the Under-17s. He wouldn’t be in the top 20 if the squad was chosen today.
n Oronde Bascome: Herbie’s son is a promising all-rounder, but with each passing tour it’s becoming more unlikely he’ll take part in the 2007 World Cup.
n Dennis Musson: A Cleveland County fast bowler, he hasn’t even had a sniff of national team duty and a more realstic goal may be the 2009 ICC Trophy team.
n Malachi Jones: A talented all-rounder from Southampton Rangers, he’s excelled at every youth level, Captained the under-15s to regional success.
n Jade Foggo: A left-arm spinner from St. George’s, has shot to the top of the wicket taking charts with five wickets against Bailey’s Bay last weekend. He hasn’t had the chance to impress at the national team level yet.
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