Herbie Bascome has been appointed coach of Bermuda's Stanford 20/20 squad that will take on defending champions Guyana in Antigua next February, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

The former St. George's skipper was recently given the reins of the team after national coach Gus Logie agreed to travel to India and Malaysia early next year to assist with the Island's Under-19 World Cup bid.

Bascome, who holds an England and Wales Cricket Board (EWCB) Level Two coaching certificate, has assisted Trinidadian Logie at the senior national level since Bermuda's successful Americas Championship in Toronto in August 2006.

"Herbie (Bascome) has been around with us for quite some time now and the players have certainly responded to him and I expect them to also respond to him in the future," said Logie, currently on tour in his native Trinidad with the Island's Under-19 national squad.

Bascome is also a former national squad member himself, having represented the Island in the former Red Stripe Bowl in the Caribbean and also at the ICC Trophy.

Logie said he expects Bascome to make a seamless transition to the next level in his absence.

"It's natural progression and I think Herbie will be all right once the players commit themselves to training and the whole process," he added.

As for his own involvement with Bermuda's World Cup-bound Under-19s, Logie said: "I'm very much looking forward to teaching the youngsters the basics of the game as I possibly can.

"I'm basically here to assist the coaches (Andre and Arnold Manders and Clevie Wade) as we go along to help everyone reach their full potential."

Bascome could not be reached for comment yesterday, while earlier this week Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) announced that they will name the Island's 16-man Standford 20/20 squad today.

Meanwhile, next year is already shaping up to be a hectic one for the senior national team who will compete on both sides of the Atlantic, beginning with February's 20/20 commitment in Antigua.

In May Bermuda will defend their Americas Championship title in Florida before travelling further north to play Canada in three one-day internationals (ODIs) in late June and the Intercontinental Cup in early July.

Bermuda will then venture to Ireland in August to compete in the ICC World Twenty/20 Qualifying Tournament against Associate rivals Kenya, Netherlands, Scotland, Canada and the host country, with the top two finishers advancing to the 2009 World Twenty/20 finals in England.

There are also provisional plans to have the Islanders face off against Test side West Indies and Associate rivals Canada in a triangular series in Florida in August.