Dear Sir

I read with interest your sports editorial in Friday's Forum and must say I agreed with most of it. However in the article you questioned the confidence that some cricket observers in this country have that with five spots up for grabs Bermuda has a good chance to qualify for the 2007 World Cup.

While it is difficult to refute the reasons that you give why such confidence is unfounded, I believe the reason many of us believe the team will qualify this time around is not only because the players appear focused and determined to perform to their potential but in Logie they have a coach who knows what it takes to make it to the World Cup, having previously guided Canada there.

There is one point you stressed in your article that I believe the BCB would do well to consider and that is the lack of international matches the team has played leading up to this tournament; while we cannot make up for time lost I think it would be wise of the Board particularly with the proposed triangular tournament in Florida in doubt to invite Canada down to the island between now and the team's departure for Ireland for a three match series.

Perhaps Canada could arrive on a Wednesday and leave on a Monday with matches to be played on the Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. I would also like to reiterate a point I made in a previous letter that great importance should be attached to all intra-squad matches. In fact they should be classified as 'Trial Matches' with the public invited and the games broadcast.

I was impressed with Logie's comments during his interview with ZBM's Mike Sharpe ? his appeal to the country to rally around the team as well as his invitation to former national players to come out and get involved was a smart move. Hopefully this will occur as it will only enhance our chances of securing one of those five qualifying spots.

Devonshire