A directive advising senior national cricketers to abstain from playing football in the final lead up to next month’s global World Twenty20 qualifiers in Dubai has seemingly fallen on deaf ears.

Cleveland County all-rounder Allan Douglas Jr played in a Premier Division match for St David’s at Lords on Sunday, scoring a 79th minute equaliser to earn the Warriors a 3-3 draw with visiting North Village Rams.

In a recent interview with this newspaper national coach Arnold Manders said squad members will not be permitted to play football once Bermuda’s World Twenty20 squad was chosen.

“Once the squad has been announced for the tournament they will not be allowed to play football,” he said.

Bermuda’s World Twenty20 qualifying squad was announced during an October 15 press conference at Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) headquarters.

Douglas has declined to comment while e-mails sent to BCB chief executive Neil Speight and copied to association president Lloyd Fray remained unanswered at press time.

Douglas, who was unavailable for Bermuda’s World Twenty20 warm up matches with USA in Fort Lauderdale, Florida last weekend, is the son of national team selector and senior BCB executive Allan Douglas.

Earlier this month national coach Manders expressed concern over players suffering injury while playing football after key trio Janeiro Tucker, Dion Stovell and Malachi Jones were spotted playing in the Premier Division ranks.

“I don’t want (the cricketers) to play football,” he said. “If they continue to train and play competitive matches then they risk injury at any moment. That would leave us having to rebuild and change the team around.”

Tucker, Stovell and Jones have since placed their football careers on the back burner to lend their full commitment to next month’s World Twenty20 qualifiers in the Middle East.

Tucker has replaced Stephen Outerbridge as Bermuda’s captain for the upcoming tournament. Outerbridge has been ruled out of the tour due to personal commitments.

Bermuda have been pitted against Scotland, Denmark, Holland, Afghanistan, Kenya, Nepal and Papua New Guinea in Group B.

Group A includes Ireland, Canada, UAE, Namibia, Hong Kong, Uganda, USA and Italy.

Bermuda qualified for global World Twenty20 qualifiers after finishing runners-up at March’s ICC America Division T20 Championship in Florida.

The senior national squad is fresh off three losses to America’s rivals USA in Florida, losing by eight wickets, 30 runs and 44 runs at Brian Picollo Park.

Bermuda will play additional warm-up matches against Italy and Canada in Dubai before taking on Scotland in their opening World Twenty20 qualifier on November 15.

Squad: Janeiro Tucker (captain), Dion Stovell, Kwame Tucker, Christian Burgess, David Hemp, Terryn Fray, Tre Manders, Chris Douglas, Allan Douglas Jr, Jacobi Robinson, Derrick Brangman, Lionel Cann, Malachi Jones, Kamau Leverock, Kamal Bashir

Standby players: Brian Hall, Macai Simmons, Delray Rawlins, Onias Bascome, Temiko Wilson.