THE wait is over.On Monday Bermuda's team for the 2007 World Cup will be announced.

Back in December the Bermuda Cricket Board delayed naming their team, preferring to choose a squad of 19 players and wait until the last possible moment before announcing the 15 for the trip to the Caribbean next month. That deadline, February 13, is now upon us.

Coach Gus Logie, who has probably had more sleepless nights than a security guard on the midnight-to-eight shift, has been left both frustrated and confused by the team's performances on the latest tour to Kenya for the World Cricket League Division One Tournament involving the six non-Test playing countries who will participate in the World Cup.

Logie has spoken, yet again of a lack of desire, a lack of discipline and a lack of focus amongst some members of the team and questioned their commitment. He even hinted in an article this week he was uncertain about his long-term future as national coach.

Things started off promisingly enough in Kenya with a warm-up victory over Uganda by 55 runs. The tour also ended with a victory, by five wickets over previously unbeaten Scotland. It is what happened in between those two matches that is worrying just a few weeks before the World Cup.

Based on what was seen in Kenya, the Bermuda selectors must now finalise the 15 for the biggest cricket assignment in the country's history. Logie, one of the five selectors, has already suggested the team is 99 percent picked, and warned there won't be any surprises.

This tour of Kenya and the one before that to Trinidad has failed to advance any one player's cause — Malachi Jones the possible exception — rather it is through process of elimination from the 19 chosen in December that will bring us to the 15.

Injuries may rule out seam bowler Ryan Steede and allrounder OJ Pitcher, both of whom missed the Kenya trip. At this stage Steede would appear a bigger gamble than Pitcher with his suspect back. Pitcher is a useful allrounder who is also one of the better fielders in the squad.

If there were other genuine contenders, fast bowler Kevin Hurdle would probably not be selected — in fact he still may not be based on his modest returns in Africa — while Delyone Borden may just squeeze into the squad as the second spinner to Dwayne Leverock. He is also a useful batsman, having opened the innings with Pitcher in Ireland in 2005 when the team qualified for the World Cup.

Borden was the joint top wicket-taker on the Africa tour, finishing with six wickets from five matches at an average of 29.99 while Saleem Mukudden also had six wickets from five matches, at an average of 30.50 each. The usually reliable Leverock only managed three wickets (41.66) in four matches and the lack of a truly penetrative bowler must be worrying. Hurdle, on whom much is expected with the new ball, could only manage three wickets in five matches at an average of 74.33 apiece, the worst average of all the Bermuda bowlers. Youngster Malachi Jones, still only 17, could forge himself into the 15, based on not just some steady bowling but also his promise for the future. His batting, though, was disappointing, as he failed to reach double figures in the five matches he played.

Irving Romaine has already been confirmed as captain and Dean Minors vice captain while Minors will be the first choice wicketkeeper and possibly opening batsman with former captain Clay Smith. "We want to stick with Dean Minors and Clay Smith at this point in time," said Logie back in December. "Yes, there will be opportunities for others, but at this point in time I would like to give them another run for awhile."

Neither Stephen Outerbridge nor Kwame Tucker did enough in Kenya to suggest that thinking will change. Outerbridge's inclusion hangs in the balance while Tucker should get the nod as deputy 'keeper to Minors. Minors started the tour brightly, with 50s in the first two matches but only scored 31 in the next three matches.

Lionel Cann is never one short of confidence...which is a good thing. Fearless and careless probably best describes Cann who has a reputation as a big hitter who likes to get on with it, puts fear in opposing bowlers and excites the crowd in the process. Sometimes it works, often it doesn't.

That said, Cann was by far the most consistent batsman on the tour. Playing in all six matches, Cann had scores of 71, 9, 44, 41, 48 and 49 not out for an average of 52.4 from his team high 262 runs.

"We have an option of somebody like Lionel coming up (higher) to make use of the limited field placings," said Logie prior to the two recent tours. Cann batted at number seven, four, three and then back at seven for the last three matches.

Romaine, boosted his tournament total to 180 runs with his unbeaten 85 in the final match against Scotland when he and Cann guided Bermuda to victory. He opened the tournament with a 52 in the friendly match against Uganda. If he scores runs the team tends to do well in the batting. Unfortunately his form has been patchy lately, as has that of Janeiro Tucker who is still well below his best with the bat, though he did manage 32 and 42 in the last two matches. Tucker, David Hemp, Romaine and Cann will form the backbone of the team's batting in the middle order. Romaine and Cann showed against Scotland this week what a big partnership at a crucial time can do for a team's fortunes.

Mukuddem is the team's key allrounder, though he struggled with the bat in Africa.

"He is basically a strike bowler but we will use him as an allrounder," coach Logie said recently.

"In the latter stages he has been able to work the ball around because of the gaps in the field and his style of play is more suited for that."

Logie continues to be frustrated with the mental aspect of the team's game, with some players repeating the same mistakes. The lack of mental toughness is often the difference between winning and losing matches.

"One of the problems I have is we learn lessons and then we go back," Logie said before Christmas.

"That's where the professionalism comes in. Players understand more and more of what is required of them, but whether or not they are prepared to make that extra sacrifice comes down to the individuals. You must have the mind to win and the will to succeed."

***

Squad contenders

Definites — Irving Romaine, Dean Minors, David Hemp, Dwayne Leverock, Clay Smith, Janeiro Tucker, Saleem Mukudden, Lionel Cann, Kwame Tucker.

Probables — Delyone Borden, Malachi Jones, OJ Pitcher, Kevin Hurdle.

Doubtful — Arthur Pitcher, Stefan Kelly, Stephen Outerbridge, Ryan Steede.

Long odds — Rodney Trott, Azeem Pitcher>

Time of reckoning