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The truth is out there..... we just have to acknowledge it

By James Whittaker
Interesting conspiracy theory from Clay Smith in the Royal Gazette today. Apparantly the ICC and CricInfo are to blame for Bermuda’s failure to qualify for the World Cup… Really? I can’t think of any possible format the ICC could have contrived where Bermuda would have qualified by finishing fifth in a six-team group. And the decision to make the final two places in the Intercontinental Cup discretionary can, at this stage, only work in Bermuda’s favour.
And what does it really matter what CricInfo say? They did seem to enjoy Bermuda’s demise a little too much and the $11million men tag has, perhaps unjustly, seen us pegged as the team with ‘all the gear and no idea’. But, like it or not, that is the impression a lot of the other teams, press and officials out there in South Africa had of Bermuda – as a team who had not made the most of the opportunities afforded them.
It’s a perception reinforced by coach Gus Logie, who cited poor attendance at a training session with the world’s top fielding coach Mike Young, as one example.
Clay also cites four or five players who did perform well - not just David Hemp. It’s a fair point and one that we made in the Bermuda Sun in our report on the tournament. But you need more than a handful of players at the top of their game to excel and as an observer (and a supporter) of Bermuda at this tournament it is impossible for me to escape the notion that the other teams were fitter and more focused than us.
At the end of the day it doesn’t matter what I, Will Luke or the Royal Gazette might have to say about Bermuda’s performances and approach. It matters even less what we have to say about Scotland (and CricInfo has criticized them as well, though not as vehemently). The real analysis has to come from within. And unless the national team leadership, including Clay Smith – who may well turn out to be the next coach of Bermuda — are brutally honest about what went wrong in South Africa, then nothing will change.

Down and out in Johannesburg

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'.