Lloyd Fray has vowed to continue the task of “getting cricket back to where it needs to be” after returning for a second term as president of the Bermuda Cricket Board.

Fray was re-elected at the annual general meeting on Wednesday night, beating Lloyd Smith, the only challenger, by an 8-3 margin while Gershon Gibbons, the Board’s treasurer, was returned unopposed.

“Certainly I’m very thankful for being re-elected and want to thank the clubs for having the faith and confidence in me to come back into this position — it’s an honour to continue on as president,” Fray said.

“The reflection of that is to continue to dive deeper into the strategy that we have with regards to our youth programmes because I believe with the programmes that we have we can expand the pool of players.”

The BCB has come in for criticism after the Bermuda team’s dismal performance at the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division Three tournament in Malaysia, when the team suffered the humiliation of relegation to Division Four.

Fray acknowledged that the BCB must endeavour to work harder to move the Bermuda team back in the right direction.

“We had some passionate discussions from the floor last night, something I haven’t seen for quite some time, great ideas coming from former presidents, who see where they can assist and that’s really what’s been missing,” Fray said.

“From what I heard last night, we can make this work. I’m completely optimistic that we can do this.

“With regards to us falling down into Division Four, we will work on getting back to the ranking that we need to be.

“We’ve already started the process with regards to a review [of the tour] that has taken place. It has been completed now.”

Fray also expressed the need to address apathy among certain players with regards to representing their country.

Putting Cup Match before country has long been an issue in the local game. “There is no reason why a player playing Cup Match shouldn’t be playing at the national level,” Fray stressed. “I also mentioned [Wednesday night] that the thing that has been challenging for us has been resources and that’s where everyone will have a part to play, because the Board doesn’t have all the answers.

“There has to be continual dialogue and understanding of one another and that’s what I’m looking for in this next term.”

Fray, a product of the successful Shell Youth League in the 1980s, appreciates the importance of a good youth programme, but stressed that development takes time.

“This first term was not easy but I’m very pleased with what we’re doing with the youth programme which is starting to take shape,” he said. “My cricket started from Shell — I was MVP a few times — and went on to play for the national youth team. When I first came into office, even back then I said we were rebuilding and it’s going to take eight to ten years and we have to put the programmes in now. All we can do is make the [cricket] product a lot more attractive.

“When I was coming up I idolised Colin Blades and El James and used to do things to mimic them, but that’s missing today.

“Social ills are also spilling over into our sports,” Fray added, referring to violence at cricket and football matches. Fray and Gibbons will remain in office for a three-year period, until 2017, while three club representatives were also voted in.

The returning Cal Waldron is joined by Clay Smith and Lorenzo Tucker after Sammy Robinson and Sherwin Richardson were nominated but declined.

They will hold office until next year’s AGM.