AFTER playing together in the Premier League and putting in the effort during regular training sessions, the bosses of Bermuda's Under-19 cricket team are happy with the players' physical shape.

But they know that it is the mental preparation that will be all-important when the team takes on the likes of England, Bangladesh and Ireland at the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia in February.

Arnold Manders, the Director of Cricket Development, said that after using a sports psychologist and with the coaches constantly talking to their young charges, he has seen a great improvement in the mental side of their game.

Of bringing in a psychologist, Manders said: "The players were a little apprehensive at first like anything new. But they started to get into it and began asking questions ¿ they understand that to play at this level they need help to prepare themselves. It is all part of sport today. You have to be mentally strong to play at this level. There are a lot of little things that the mental part of the game helps with ¿ the biggest being self confidence. Anything that helps them to become better people and better players is bound to be good."

Manders has seen Bermuda teams fall down in the past. "Usually Bermuda teams, when they get behind or are in a difficult situation, they tend drop their heads. But that didn't happen against Canada (in the qualifying). Historically, this generation tend to drop their heads. I think the Under-19 team used to be like that but having played competitive matches in the Premier League and playing in the (annual Sir Garfield) Sobers tournament against good opposition who will always put you under pressure they have learned how to deal with that pressure. And that is what happened in Canada."

In qualifying for February's World Cup, Bermuda came up against Canada in the final game and recorded a narrow 13-run win over the hosts last August. Bermuda had set Canada 195 to win from their 50 overs but they slipped to 181 for 9, with Malachi Jones picking up 3 for 37.

"In that final game Canada got off to an excellent start. They were 60 without loss after six overs ¿ but then one wicket fell and we jumped back into the game and then our guys put pressure on the Canadians with some excellent fielding and bowling. It came down to a question of character."

Playing in the Premier League also helped give the young platers confidence and bound them together. "When they started playing in the Premier League I don't think they really believed in themselves ¿ at least initially. But then they won their first game. They only won two games in all but they could have won many more.

"If you do not believe in yourself you may as well stay home. They have become a lot stronger when it comes to the mental part of the game but there is still a lot of work we need to do before we get to Malaysia. We have worked out a few more sessions with the sports psychologist."

Manders is confident about the talent of the Bermuda youngsters.

"When it comes to talent I would say that this is one of the most talented teams we have ever had. Going to the Sobers tournament for the last two years also proved to be one of the major factors of us qualifying for the World Cup. We are very fit ¿ we have 24-25 kids training at every session and (captain) Rodney (Trott) does an extremely good job with the players. We want for them to be mentally tough. There are going to be times when the wickets are not falling but you have to keep the pressure on ¿ eventually something will happen."

National coach Gus Logie will also be traveling to Trinidad ¿ his home country ¿ with the players and said this week that a number of top West Indian players and coaches will be coming out to help Bermuda.

"We will have some former players in Trinidad who will looking in on the sessions. There will be a number of people bringing in their expert advice ¿ people like Larry Gomes, Tony Gray and Bernard Julian. This will be new as they are going into a new atmosphere ¿ a lot of development will have to take place and our players will be interacting with a lot of people."

Of Bermuda's youngsters, Logie said: "They are like sponges ¿ they want to absorb as much as possible and we have to do a lot more and teach them. It is a teacher and pupil level at this age and it is about building the character. "

And like Manders and other officials with the Under-19 team, Logie said they will be working with the players' mental strength. "The players are enthusiastic, there is no doubt about that. They have all be coming to the training sessions and are quite fit. Now it is a matter of them stepping it up. We have to make them aware that the opposition they will be playing against will be well prepared and pretty hardened even though they are young. The kids in Bangladesh are hungry and they have been involved with a lot of international cricket ¿ a number of their young players have played in the World Cup. And just recently they picked a young team to go to New Zealand. They have been playing against Pakistan and been getting a lot of exposure. Along the way they have beaten some top teams. There will be no easy games (at the World Cup) and our players have to understand that they are going to be in a battle out there. But I think they are starting to understand that."

While acknowledging England will be very tough customers, Logie said that Ireland will be tough as well. "They also have done well in the past and have a lot of young players. Their senior players, as everyone knows, did very well in the World Cup and that plays a part in lifting the standard for the youngsters. The Irish players also realise that this is a chance for them to play (county cricket) in England as well."

Logie also wants to give a few of Bermuda's young players a chance to build on their careers in England and Australia. "We have also give our youngsters the opportunity to go to England and Australia. If they get the opportunity they have to take it. Australia are keen to have one or two of our youngsters come over there. There is a lot happening on this front."

While the 18 players selected for the squad to go to Trinidad will leave on December 12 for the 10-day trip, that number will be reduced to 15 for a major training trip to India right before the World Cup.

Coach Andre Manders said: "It was very hard to pick the players to go (to Trinidad). Picking 18 out of the 25 guys who were coming to training was tough and I feel sorry for those who didn't make it. Hopefully those players will be able to make the next World Cup team."

Manders added that between now and December 12 the players will continue to train and "they have fitness tests and drug tests".

Arnold Manders said the trip to India and then to Malaysia for the World Cup will be a "big trip for these kids".

He said: "We will be leaving for India about February 1 and will be based at the World Cricket Academy in Mumbai. They have arranged everything for us. We will play three matches in 10 days and from there we will go to Malaysia where we will have two friendly games before the tournament starts. This trip is going to be a real eye-opener for these kids and hopefully they will be up for it ¿ I am sure they will be."

At the World Cup Bermuda will come up against England, Bangladesh and Ireland ¿ teams who will test Bermuda's players to the limit.

Manders believes that although Bangladesh have some very talented young players, there is a chance that Bermuda could come away with a victory.

"Bangladesh have a good youth programme ¿ four or five of their Under-19 players are in the (senior) national team. But the way they play, I feel we can beat them. But if Bangladesh are on it is going to hard ¿ but they are not consistent. For instance Malaysia beat them once in a five-match series."

Bermuda's captain, Rodney Trott who recently toured with Bermuda's senior team, said: "Mentally I am stronger since I have been with senior squad. A lot of things I learned with the senior team I am trying to bring to the Under-19 team. I learned a lot with the senior squad. I just want to show these guys that you have to work at your game. Everything you put in will come out ¿ maybe not right away but you have to keep working at it. Success will come. I feel the team has matured a lot over the past few months and I feel good about the squad. We have a good balance and we can make Bermuda proud of us."

Last month the England and Wales Cricket Board named a 14-man squad to take part in the Under-19 World Cup.

The squad, which will be captained for the first time by Northamptonshire's Alex Wakely, includes nine players (Brown, Finn, Dawson, Godleman, Harris, Redfern, Wakely, Westley and Woakes) who have already played first-class cricket for their counties. Of those players Billy Godleman has enjoyed an excellent 2007 season, notching up his maiden first-class century for Middlesex and scoring 149 from 150 balls to help England Under-19s beat the touring Pakistan Under-19 side at Grace Road, Leicester.

John Abrahams, the Elite Player Development and England Under-19 manager said: "We have selected a strong squad that has a lot of experience of playing international Under-19 cricket. Indeed, many of the players have already had the opportunity to play cricket in Malaysia during an England Under-19's tour earlier in the year."

The England Under-19 coach, Andy Pick, added: "This is a great opportunity for this group of players to test their cricketing skills on a world stage. We will be working very hard to prepare the team for the challenges that will face them in Malaysia and I believe that if they continue to show the same level of commitment that they demonstrated during the summer then they will have a good chance of progressing into the latter stages of this tournament."