WHAT chance Bermuda playing in another cricket World Cup in just over two years' time?

Slim at best.

While that might be a pessimistic even cynical opinion, the facts speak for themselves.

Outside Bermuda Cricket Board – the administrators, the players, the coaches – it would be difficult for anyone who follows the game in this country to express any degree of confidence that Gus Logie's team will repeat their monumental and historic achievement of 2005 in Ireland.

And there are a variety of reasons, perhaps the most significant being that, while other countries have stepped up their game, Bermuda's national side haven't shown any signs of improvement.

This time around the format of the qualifying tournament, to be held in South Africa in just four months' time, has changed.

While previously the top five Associate teams made it to the finals – and let's not forget Bermuda made it by the skin of their teeth, finishing fifth – this time only four countries advance.

And following the 'unofficial' qualifying draw this week, Bermuda will have been reminded that they'll have to get the better of Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Namibia, Kenya, Holland, United Arab Emirates, all of whom they've struggled against in recent years.

Even to get to the so-called 'Super Eight' from which only four will take their place in the finals, they'll have to be among the leading four in a preliminary group which includes Kenya, Holland, UAE, Denmark and the country who finish first in Division Three of the World Cricket League – possibly Argentina who defeated a so-called Bermuda developmental side on home turf earlier this week.

That new format, however, might not be the biggest hurdle they have to overcome.

Efforts to inject more youth into a team, which at the last World Cup was not only the least experienced but also one of the oldest, have so far reaped little reward.

It was those 'veterans' who paved the way for that success.

Since Ireland, 2005, Bermuda have lost influential players such as Albert Steede, Clay Smith, Dean Minors, Janeiro Tucker and Saleem Mukuddem.

Some of the youngsters who have been brought in to replace them have shown enormous promise – Rodney Trott, Chris Douglas and Tamauri Tucker to name a few.

But are they ready to take on the likes of Ireland, Scotland, Kenya, Namibia and Holland, all of whom have shown a marked improvement and benefited from an intense preparation programme?

While the BCB have attempted to mould a settled squad, there's no evidence it's worked – either on or off the field.

Since August this year we've seen three assistant coaches, Herbie Bascome, Clay Smith and Clevie Wade.

Experiments to find a solid opening partnership and a potent bowling attack, so important at the international level, have failed miserably.

It's difficult to see how the relatively gentle pace of Kevin Hurdle and Stefan Hurdle are going to consistently trouble the opening bats of the top Associate nations. Teenager Malachi Jones, who enjoyed his one moment of fame against India in Trinidad, and appeared to have so much potential, has disappeared and the enigmatic George O'Brien has still to prove he has what it takes to succeed at the next level.

Skipper Irving Romaine, once regarded as the most reliable of Bermuda bats, has endured a dreadful run of form, leaving the impression that the added responsibility of leading the team has detracted from his own performance.

It's all of the above which, secretly, must worry coach Logie who despite his outward optimism must be well aware of his team's limitations.

Time is running out to find the blend which will again make Bermuda the talk of the cricketing world.

On top all of the above, the wisdom of sending a squad to South America this month might be questioned.

If we can't beat the Argentinians, then who can we beat?

In that country, soccer reigns supreme. Walking down the streets of Buenos Aires, you wouldn't find anyone who could distinguish between a cricket bat and a baseball bat.

With the Argentine cricketers using this tour as a warm-up for their own World Cup qualifier, it's a series which benefits them a whole lot more than it does us.

Sure, Bermuda's victories (before this week's lone defeat) will have instilled some confidence among the youngsters. But it's a false sense of self-belief that will serve them no good when they come up against better opposition.

Rather than travelling to Argentina, Bermuda should be organising matches against quality teams, either other Associates or Caribbean club teams.

And why haven't incoming tours been arranged now that it has been proved the National Sports Centre pitch can handle one-day internationals?

Wouldn't that have given Logie a much better chance to experiment with a wider selection of players?

If preparation is the key to success, it won't be difficult to see where Bermuda went wrong if they find themselves left out in the cold come the end of April.

* * * *

IF football fans were wondering why there was no report in yesterday's paper about Wednesday night's Dudley Eve cup matches at Somerset CC, there was good reason.

Our reporter at the games, Josh Ball, was involved in a traffic accident on the way back to the office and taken to hospital with a fractured elbow.

Some might feel that was no excuse, but unfortunately due to this newspaper's deadline there was no time to implement a contingency plan.

However, it again questions why Bermuda Football Association continue to schedule night games, particularly those that can stretch into extra time, at 7.00 and 9.00 p.m. – games that rarely kick off on time.

There is nowhere else on the planet where a floodlight game starts at 9.00 p.m. or even later if the preceding game needs an extra 30 minutes.

If the BFA are serious about making the sport more appealing to the whole family, then they should amend their schedule.

Children needing to get to school the next day or their parents wanting to get up early for work aren't going to attend games which might finish close to or even after midnight.

In Europe and elsewhere, the kick-off time is 7.45 p.m. or even earlier.

Bermuda might be another world but on this issue couldn't we conform to what is standard practice in every other country?

– ADRIAN ROBSON