Illegal drug use among cricketers is rampant and is one of the leading factors behind players’ reluctance to play for their countryAccording to veteran national player Lionel Cann, many fear of being subjected to random testing.He claims drugs are having a huge impact on the senior national programe and is one of the main reasons for the apathy being demonstrated by players during the MCC’s current tour of the Island.Cann said the number of players showing up for national team practise has dwindled since Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) stepped up their drug testing procedures in compliance to revised World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) policy.“Ever since random drug testing was introduced all of a sudden, the numbers have dwindled down to a just a few guys,” he said. “Some guys are not playing because it’s hard work or they don’t agree with certain things but the major factor is drugs.”Prior to the introduction of random drug testing national team cricketers were only subjected to drug tests in the lead-up to international competition.National coach David Moore admitted there has been a “drop off” in players at the senior national level for various reasons.He said the BCB had offered to assist players who may be struggling with substance abuse. But so far Moore said no individual has come forward for assistance.“People do live lives that don’t fall within the testing that WADA and the Bermuda Sports Anti -Doping Authority (BSADA) do and that’s unfortunate for them because we fully support those drug testing procedures,” he added. “The players clearly know what’s going on and so there’s no cutting corners.“I don’t think it’s (drugs) a healthy thing personally and from our (BCB) point of view if there’s issues with players we want to help them in any way we possibly can.”The apathy being shown by players for one reason or the other towards national duty directly attributed to the BCB having to scrap initial plans to stage a Twenty20 triangular series involving two Bermuda Selects and the visiting MCC at the National Sports Centre over the weekend.Instead of the tri-series, the BCB staged two Twenty20 matches (one was abandoned due to rain) between Bermuda and the MCC (see report, Page 15).“That was disappointing because before the tour started I thought we had a lot more players than there were,” Moore lamented. “But people pulled out for their own reasons later on in the planning and preparations and it did hurt.“It’s disappointing that some of these guys don’t want to come out and play for Bermuda when we have given them every opportunity to do so. But we have to respect their decisions and move on with or without them. We can’t cry over spilled milk.”Cann, whose own involvement in the tour has been limited due to work commitments, said he had also hoped more of his team-mates would’ve taken advantage of the opportunity to measure up against the visiting MCC.“International cricket is the biggest thing and how could anyone not want to play against one of the most prestigious teams in the world that people would die for just to play against,” he said.“This is really sad because obviously they don’t realise the magnitude of this tour and the history of playing against certain teams. This tour is not just about passion for the game but also about understanding it.”