January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Young cricket stars to get a chance
That was the message from Gus Logie this week as he answered criticisms about the age of his squad.
Logie said he had opened the door to the most talented young players on the island.
Those that have the right attitude and have turned up to training are being given an opportunitity in the first-team.
As if to underscore the point - eight players aged 26 or under were included in the 19-man training squad that will travel to Trinidad in January.
In reality they are probably playing for only four places in the final 15.
But the coach insisted the door was open for them to prove themselves for 2007.
And the inclusion of so many younger players in the squad suggests that, despite pessimistic predictions to the contrary, the future could be bright for Bermuda cricket in 2009 and beyond.
Here's a look at the eight guys vying for places at West Indies 2007 and some of the others who may go on to form the core of the squad going forward.
Delyone Borden
Age: 21
The talented St David's all-rounder seems a near certainty to travel to the World Cup, particularly after Hasan Durham was left out of the training squad.
His right arm off-breaks offer a different option with the ball and he can also open the batting. When he's been available he's been straight on the team sheet. Has performed better with the ball than the bat this season but is likely to be a key figure as an all-rounder for years to come.
OJ Pitcher
Age: 23
Like his mate Delyone Borden, Pitcher appears to have a very good chance of making the final 15. Having been away at school in Florida, he hasn't played much cricket for Bermuda this year. But he scored an exceptional 98 at Cup Match and has posted good stats for St David's. Despite being only 23 he seems to have been around for ages and was actually part of the 2001 ICC Trophy squad. Could be used as an opener or in the middle order, Pitcher will be one of the players Logie is looking very closely at on the Trinidad trip.
Stephen Outerbridge
Age: 23
Virtually a permanent fixture at the top of the order , the pressure is on Outerbridge after some indifferent performances in Africa. But despite some dodgy scores he's the one Bermudian young player who has an international half-century to his name this year (80 against Holland and 96 against Cayman). Glamorgan skipper David Hemp was impressed with some of his performances on the Africa tour and thought he did better than his stats suggested. Currently at school in Cardiff he has plenty of opportunity to become a fixture in the batting line-up for years to come.
Malachi Jones
Age: 17
An all-rounder with genuine potential, Malachi Jones has been earmarked by coach Logie as someone with the temperament for the big time. Since captaining the under-15s to victory in the Americas a few short years ago, Jones' rise to the first team has been meteoric. Under the tutelage of his uncle Clevie Wade at Southampton Rangers he's developed into one of the top all-rounders in the domestic game. He got belted around a bit in Kenya, but did well with the bat, and looks good for a place in the final squad.
Stefan Kelly
Age: 18
An outstanding seam-bowling prospect Kelly has been furthering his cricket ambitions at the Oakham school in England, training with the Leicestershire County squad and at the ICC Academy in South Africa.
He's been tipped by coaches, including Aussie Rod Marsh, to make it as a pro. Had a hard time in Africa but improved towards the end of the tour.
Started off his international career with a five-wicket haul against Namibia, and though he hasn't quite matched those heights since he will be in serious contention for the World Cup, particularly if Ryan Steede and Kevin Hurdle's injury problems continue.
Rodney Trott
Age: 19
Only played one four-day game on the tour of Africa recently but Trott must have done something to impress as he has now moved above Hasan Durham in the spin-bowling pecking order.
Took bags of wickets for the Under-19s earlier in the summer and looked the part when he took 3 for 47 in the four-day game against Kenya.
Trott is an energetic and enthusiastic young cricketer and a livewire in the field, which may have helped in getting the nod over Durham. Will become an increasingly important part of the squad as Dwayne Leverock winds down his brilliant Bermuda career.
Arthur Pitcher jnr
Age: 25
Despite not playing a full-international for his country Pitcher has crept into the reckoning on the back of some excellent performances for St David's.
He did well enough against Clico and has impressed with his commitment in training. He's also one of the fitter players and adds a little something different to the bowling attack. Could be an all-rounder to watch for the future.
Azeem Pitcher
Age: 26
The Somerset skipper has been in and out of the national team over the last few years with his work commitments making it tough to be on every tour.
And though he hasn't excelled with the bat in his hand, he's done enough to warrant further consideration.
Had some decent performances for Bermuda, most notably on the tour of Trinidad where he made a half-century earlier in the year, and in the Classic in April. Along with his namesake Arthur Pitcher he'll be considered an outsider to make the final 15 but his fitness and fielding are good and if there are injuries in key batting positions he could still figure.
Five More Young
Prospects for 2009
Steven Bremar jnr
One of an exciting crop of youngsters coming through at Warwick, Bremar is a technically correct batsman who has shown his potential with some big runs for the under-19s.
Dion Stovell
One of the top scorers in the domestic league, pretty much everyone agrees that if Stovell would commit to the national team cause he could have a big future for Bermuda.
George O'Brien
Already a proven talent on the international scene, O'Brien is a natural fast bowler. He's blown his chance for 2007 but if Bermuda can get him training and committed to the cause he could be the spearhead of the seam attack over the coming years.
Oronde Bascome
An exciting opening batsman who scored his first domestic century last season.
Now training in Cardiff he looks a good bet to follow in his father's footsteps and nail down a place in the national team.
Jekon Edness
A talented wicketkeeper-batsman who followed in the footsteps of his father Anthony 'Porky' Manders to make his Cup Match debut this year. Could be the long-term successor to Dean Minors.
All the talk in recent weeks has been that Bermuda will be hit by a spate of retirements after the World Cup and won't be able to cope.
But as well as the eight players aged 26 and under included in the squad, the likes of Janeiro Tucker, Ryan Steede, Kevin Hurdle, Kwame Tucker and Irving Romaine should still be around.
Even if they are not there are enough players coming through to suggest Bermuda could last beyond the World Cup and do well at the ICC Trophy in 2009.
Sick of all the negativity in the international press?
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