Bermuda Select to tour Barbados next month, replacing Wendell Smith who has withdrawn because of a leg injury.

Bermuda's 18-member squad for their 10-day trip to the Caribbean, which has primarily been arranged as a build-up to next year's World Cup competition in Kenya, also has batsman Albert Steede going as the vice captain. The tour starts March 5.

Ed Bailey, president of the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control, said yesterday that appointments had been well accepted and that the players had indicated no objections whatsoever.

The full squad is: Charlie Marshall (capt), Albert Steede (vice-capt), Ricky Hill, Jeff Richardson, Andre Manders, Dennis Archer, Noel Gibbons, Clevie Wade, Arnold Manders, Allan Douglas, Kenny Phillips, Anthony Edwards, Herbie Bascome, Gary Brangman, Dale Fox, Del Hollis, Gary Williams, Diallo Sharrieff.

"At a relatively short notice we have had to make a chance of captaincy because of an injury to Wendell and we are happy to announce that Charlie has been appointed to replace him,'' said Bailey.

"He was actually being considered among a group of three others for the vice captaincy for the World Cup and now we have had to make moves to fill the gap left by Wendell and we are confident that Charlie will do well.'' The appointment completes Marshall's successful rehabilitation at the top level. He was banned from all local cricket for a year following an angry public outburst during the 1986 ICC Trophy in England.

The president explained that by choosing Marshall and Steede to lead the squad the Board had turned to younger players who had the ability to develop into capable captains.

"We want continuity and by looking at it this way we know that for the next four years any of the two will have had the preparations and experience to take over the World Cup team,'' in the future said Bailey.

While in Barbados the team will attend a training camp and possibly play as many as five matches against opponents yet to be named.

Among the noticeable missing are prominent cricketers such as all-rounder Anthony Amory and batsmen Clay Smith and Glenn Smith -- all of who are thought to have been unavailable to train with the squad on a regular basis and consequently not considered for this particular trip.

Veteran Allan Douglas, according to Bailey, has made himself available as a welcome replacement for the injured wicket-keeper Dean Minors who is suffering from a leg injury and expected to be out of action for a few months.

Originally Douglas had announced his retirement and was restricting his involvement in the game only at a club level.

Bailey though was ecstatic about having 17-year-old Southampton Rangers' fast bowler Gary Williams added to the squad.

"I'm very pleased that he has been included. I have personally watched him develop and have been inspired by his progress. He has unlimited potential and if we can find other youngsters as keen as he is the future of the sport will be quite good,'' said Bailey.

Meanwhile the president said that there still remained a 50-50 chance that Pakistan would tour Bermuda after their Test series in the West Indies in May.

Pakistan are now preoccupied with their short tour of South Africa, but the board has urged their (Pakistan) representative in England to make a final decision as soon as possible as the delay is affecting the domestic schedule in Bermuda.

At the board's annual general meeting on Wednesday night there were no changes among the executives with Bailey returned as president. There were two changes among club representatives with Arnold Manders and Michael Jones stepping down and being replaced by veterans Winters Burgess and Gladstone (Sad) Brown.

CHARLIE MARSHALL -- steps in for Wendell Smith.