Saleem Mukuddem has leapt to the defence of Bermuda coach Gus Logie and lifted the lid on the "disruptive influences" which have blighted and undermined his rein.

Bermuda's humiliating defeat against Guyana in the Stanford 20/20 has been met with waves of criticism from Government dignitaries, while The Royal Gazette has been besieged with readers' letters (see page 15) attacking the sorry state of the local game.

But Mukuddem, who was a member of Logie's World Cup squad, believes the former West Indies vice-captain must not harness the blame for the demise of cricket on the Island.

According to the ex-Bermuda all-rounder, bad attitudes and a lack of discipline within the camp have constantly hindered Logie, and Mukuddem fears the man who guided Bermuda to their maiden World Cup will walk away when his contract expires.

"If Gus had 11 players who actually listened to him, respected his achievements, shared his vision, commitment, work-ethic and mindset then I believe Bermuda would have been more successful," said Mukuddem who retired from international cricket after the World Cup.

"There were a few disruptive influences in the dressing room when I played who didn't make life any easier for him. Maybe Bermuda will only miss a man with his experience when he has gone.

"I think he will leave when his time's up. You can't blame him either."

Mukuddem said he always felt Logie did not receive the full respect his reputation deserved from some players who had little interest in learning from his wisdom.

"I think some players thought ''who does he think he is telling me what to do'," he said. "I always felt Gus needed to be more aggressive on discipline. But because

of his limited resources, and the small selection pool, he probably felt he couldn't afford to be.

"You can't call Gus a failure. The Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) was flawed before he arrived.

"It wouldn't matter who was in charge. Former South Africa Test player Darryl Cullinan coached the team for a few months and I believe he was very hard, took no nonsense and meant business.

"From what I've heard some players didn't appreciate that."

Logie did not travel to the Stanford 20/20 opting to accompany Bermuda's Under-19 squad to the World Cup in Malaysia.

Read Mukuddem's views on the state of local cricket and his recommendation for change in tomorrow's Gazette.