team after their tour of the West Indies early next year.

The board, which has hosted both Australia and Pakistan after tours of the Caribbean, has made an approach to the English authorities, president Ed Bailey disclosed yesterday. But their availability would depend on the date England's Caribbean tour ends as players would probably be required to join their respective counties almost immediately, Bailey said.

"We have approached them and are waiting on a reply from them,'' said Bailey.

"We'll be trying to work it out with them once we can lock in the dates. By the end of this month we should know something.'' The board is now preparing to host its third team this year with the visit of the West Indies Board Select in two weeks' time for a six-match tour.

Taking into consideration the performances against both Derbyshire and Pakistan when Bermuda failed to win a match, it is now the intention of the board to give the national squad three matches against the West Indies Board Select. Also pitted against the West Indians will be the two Cup Match clubs, which contain a number of Bermuda players, and the Under-25s.

The tour opens with three successive days of cricket, with the board deciding to have a match on the holiday -- Monday, June 21 -- as opposed to the following day.

On Saturday, June 19, the West Indies Board Select playing a BCBC President's XI at Lord's in St. David's. Bermuda play on June 20 at Somerset Cricket Club and then St. George's can bank on a holiday crowd and the spillover from the Long Distance Comet Race when they host the visitors at Wellington Oval.

The Under-25s are in action on June 24 at Devonshire Rec. field with Somerset and Bermuda (at Lord's) closing the tour on the June 26-27 weekend. All matches are limited to 50 overs and start at 11 a.m.

Bailey confirmed that this weekend will give selectors a final look at the national squad players before the teams are announced next Wednesday.

"The preparation for the cricket point of view is going well,'' said Bailey, adding that the board has confirmed sponsorship for the tour.

Bailey stated months ago that after the West Indies tour here he would be in a better position to determine Bermuda's chances of finishing in the top three in the ICC Trophy Tournament in Kenya to qualifying for the World Cup.

"What we will be able to see is how much the players have improved,'' he said. "The players' performances are under scrutiny from the board and also in the West Indies.'' Bailey expects the West Indies Board Select, captained by Test prospect Roland Holder and including many other players on the fringe of the West Indies team, to be as strong as, if not stronger, than the top teams in the ICC.

"If we handle ourselves well against the `A' team then we will perform very well in Kenya,'' a confident Bailey said.

With the West Indies Test team going on a tour of Sri Lanka later this year, this tour to Bermuda will give the West Indies youngsters the incentive to perform well. For that reason the tour, unlike those by Australia and Pakistan, will be taken very seriously by the tourists.