One of Bermuda's most promising young cricketers is facing a year-long ban from international action over what he says is “an unfortunate misunderstanding” about a drug test.

However, Rodney Trott is protesting his innocence and is hoping to have the Bermuda Council for Drug Free Sport's (BCDFS) decision overturned on appeal.

This would return the right-arm off-spinner to selection eligibility for the Island's senior and Under-23 squads, both of which he was training with prior to this situation.

At present, though, his future in the sport is unclear as he has been barred from national duty for missing a drug test on June 4. Initially, the Bailey's Bay player was also ineligible for domestic matches but - having passed a subsequent drug test on June 11 - that part of the punishment was rescinded.

The talented 16-year-old is aggrieved at his predicament, insisting he had no idea of the consequences for failing to show up for drug tests nor did he intentionally miss his appointment.

The CedarBridge Academy student, who has already passed two drug tests this year, said he received a telephone call at school around midday informing him he needed to take another test that afternoon. He arranged a lift to Benedict Associates on Front Street but, due to a transportation mishap, was unable to reach there until after 5 p.m. and found it was closed.

It was only on the following Monday (June 7) when attending cricket practice at Bailey's Bay that he realised how serious the matter was from talking to team-mates. So he went to Benedict's the next day and was told that, since he did not keep his appointment or contact them to provide “a reasonable excuse”, he was deemed to have committed an infraction.

This was confirmed to him in a letter which he collected from the Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB). That correspondence also informed him that the penalty would be a one-year ban from all sports effective June 4, 2004, but that he had the right to appeal within 14 days of receipt of it, offering “grounds, if any, as to reasonable excuse(s) for your failure to comply with the established Drug Use Control Procedures”.

The letter indicated that Trott could be spared from a domestic ban once he undertook a drug test which proved negative and he did so on June 11, thus securing clearance to continue representing Bay.

Now he is preparing to appeal the national/international ban, all the while concerned his name may be tarnished.

“Some people might be saying ‘Rodney is on drugs. He can't play international cricket because he failed a drug test'.

“I feel bad because I've never dealt with drugs . I'm young and this could hinder my sporting career.

“It's hard because I have been training all these months and this is going to mess up everything now,” he said.

Stating he was “shocked” to learn of his stiff ban, the cricketer was adamant he had never been made aware of the gravity of drug testing and the penalty for missing a test.

BCB spokesman Neil Speight begged to differ.

“I think there's a pretty clear policy that's been communicated to all players. It's not just those on national duty. In addition, ten percent of domestic players are selected for random testing,” he told The Royal Gazette.

Asked if the BCB would be in any way be involved in Trott's appeal since it was related to national duty, Speight replied “no”, explaining that the onus was on the individual to proceed with that.

Ironically, the day before Trott missed his drug test Bermuda signed onto the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) protocol, endorsing the Copenhagen Declaration on Anti-Doping in Sport.

The BCDFS was introduced as Government's regulatory agency for upholding the necessary standards to ensure anti-doping initiatives are applied in compliance with WADA codes.

Chairman of the Council, Jon Beard, explained they are now empowered to effect the demands of international sports organisations in relation to drug testing - and not just the requests of national sports-governing bodies.