Shannon Rayner has finally caught up with his former Under-19 team-mates and is excited about the challenge of representing his country as a full international.

Rayner came up through the ranks with the likes of Stephen Outerbridge and Rodney Trott, but fell out of favour with the Bermuda selectors after an incident in the West Indies two years ago.

Now though the explosive Southampton Rangers batsman is being tipped to fill Lionel Cann's shoes by adding some much-needed firepower to the Bermuda line-up, in the absence of some more senior players.

"A lot of we guys came up together," said Rayner. "We played on the Under-19s together, Stephen Outerbridge, Rodney Trott, we all came up together. I just basically fell off for two years and now I'm back."

However, anyone who thinks Rayner is just filling a gap until the likes of OJ Pithcer, Chris Douglas and Glenn Blakeney are ready to return has another think coming – he's not about to give up his spot without a fight.

"I'm excited and ready," said Rayner. "I'm feeling good about my game, since we started training early in November, I'm feeling good. I mean I've still got little things to work on, but I'm feeling real good about my game.

"All of us here are working hard and anyone who is missing from this tour and wants a place is going to have to work very hard to get back in."

For Rayner that hard work has centred on fitness and working on his batting so that he isn't labelled as just a power-hitter for the shorter form of the game. He wants to be playing four-day cricket as well.

"With me, starting to come into this level, fitness wise it was about getting a little fitter," he said. "But basically I'm here for my batting so I'm working on that, staying straight, because I like to hit the ball. So I'm working on my batting game."

Like all of the players Rayner is gunning for a spot in the side to play Namibia in the Intercontinental Shield, but even if he doesn't get picked he's determined to do anything he can to support the team.

"I'm a team player when it comes down to it, I'll put in my work and if get selected to play, I get selected to play," he said. "If I don't then I'll play my part on the sidelines as well as any other team player."

Right now though, the biggest challenge for Rayner is keeping his emotions in check. The reality of being in the squad really only struck home yesterday.

"I'm excited about it all," he said. "A lot of people (at home) were saying I should be really excited before I left, but I wasn't going to until I got here.

"As soon as I got into my dorm I really felt that I was here. I was ready to get down and work, represent Bermuda."

And Rayner has a message for the doubters at home, some of whom have spread rumours of discontent in the squad and others who have predicted nothing but defeat.

"We've had a lot of people say stuff, and it's all been stupid rumours and wrong," he said. "But we're here to do a job, and we're going to prove a lot of people wrong."