By James Whittaker
I'm feeling pretty deflated after just watching Bermuda's fourth comprehensive defeat in five games in South Africa. Like many of the players and coaching staff, I had high hopes for Bermuda in this tournament and they haven't been met. All I can say from having seen the games is that a lot of the other teams are simply better - fitter, more energetic in the field, more cohesive as team units and in a lot of cases just more talented cricketers. It's tempting to lay all the blame at the door of the 14 men who are out here but I think we all agreed before the tournament that they were the best available. Injuries, other commitments and a few selection tweaks might have made a bit of difference - but not much. What has really been exposed here is not the shortcomings of one team, but the shortcomings of the national game as a whole. There is simply no strength in depth and not enough quality cricketers with the desire to play for their country and to put in the work that is needed to succeed. Associate level cricket has got a lot tougher in the last four years and Bermuda hasn't taken advantage of the opportunities afforded it. The national team has gone backwards while others have moved forwards. No home one-day-internationals, no significant improvement in facilities or in the quality of the domestic structure and certainly no improvement in the national team. The Bermuda Cricket Board believes it has a good development programme in place, an assertion that is backed up by a couple of ICC awards. Maybe now is the time for those young players to step up to the first team. Relegation to Division Two or Three of the World Cricket League (depending on how the next couple of games go) will give them the chance to do so at a less competitive level - an intermediatry step between youth and club cricket and the big time. There is talent out there, but nothing will come of it unless Bermuda's next generation can match the attitude, professionalism and desire of their contemparies at associate level. Most of these other teams are not pros. The Dutch players are losing money by taking time off their jobs to be here. As former national football coach Kenny Thompson likes to day 'you don't have to get paid to be a professional'.
I'm feeling pretty deflated after just watching Bermuda's fourth comprehensive defeat in five games in South Africa. Like many of the players and coaching staff, I had high hopes for Bermuda in this tournament and they haven't been met. All I can say from having seen the games is that a lot of the other teams are simply better - fitter, more energetic in the field, more cohesive as team units and in a lot of cases just more talented cricketers. It's tempting to lay all the blame at the door of the 14 men who are out here but I think we all agreed before the tournament that they were the best available. Injuries, other commitments and a few selection tweaks might have made a bit of difference - but not much. What has really been exposed here is not the shortcomings of one team, but the shortcomings of the national game as a whole. There is simply no strength in depth and not enough quality cricketers with the desire to play for their country and to put in the work that is needed to succeed. Associate level cricket has got a lot tougher in the last four years and Bermuda hasn't taken advantage of the opportunities afforded it. The national team has gone backwards while others have moved forwards. No home one-day-internationals, no significant improvement in facilities or in the quality of the domestic structure and certainly no improvement in the national team. The Bermuda Cricket Board believes it has a good development programme in place, an assertion that is backed up by a couple of ICC awards. Maybe now is the time for those young players to step up to the first team. Relegation to Division Two or Three of the World Cricket League (depending on how the next couple of games go) will give them the chance to do so at a less competitive level - an intermediatry step between youth and club cricket and the big time. There is talent out there, but nothing will come of it unless Bermuda's next generation can match the attitude, professionalism and desire of their contemparies at associate level. Most of these other teams are not pros. The Dutch players are losing money by taking time off their jobs to be here. As former national football coach Kenny Thompson likes to day 'you don't have to get paid to be a professional'.
It will be interesting to see the direction the BCB takes after the CWCQs are finished; for one the impetus to push for the NSC cricket facilities to be upgraded is likely to be shut down totally, which possibly has a knock-on effect for the NSC as a whole and the other sports bodies that would like to utilize it (mose notably BASA for swimming).
The cricket team itself: while competitive against Kenya and Holland they simply didn't show up in the first two matches and were overwhelmed. If the team felt that they could just waltz through, they got exposed, and it seemed that all the coaching and advice they received previously went through the window. Smash and wallop is not going to cut it in world cricket, despite the oohs and aahs it gets at Cup Match or Counties games.
Regardless of the unfortunate injury to Chris Douglas, the issues with other players that led to them not playing for Bermuda, the guys on the field collectively didn't perform despite their so-called higher pedigree.
It's likely, as I mention here (http://beachlimegibbo.blogspot.com/2009/04/bermuda-cricket-drops-tier.html), that an overhaul of the senior national programme be commmenced, with eyes on bringing dedicated young players through who are willing to take advice and coaching without sulking or walking away because they feel they're the next coming of Brian Lara or something.
Posted by: Tryangle | April 09, 2009 at 09:43 AM