Jason Anderson, the Cleveland County player, has moved to set the record straight concerning his reasons for not attending Bermuda training in preparation for next month’s ICC World Cricket League Division Three tournament in Malaysia.

During a recent television interview featuring Arnold Manders, the Bermuda coach, Anderson was named among a handful of prominent players who had failed to turn up to practice.

But according Anderson, nothing could be further from the truth, especially since he was not named in the training squad of 26 players announced by the Bermuda Cricket Board in June.

“People have been calling me and acting like I haven’t taken an interest. They deserve to know the real deal,” said Anderson, who keeps wicket.

“Myself, George O’Brien Jr and OJ Pitcher were all put in the same boat, but whereas they were included in the training squad of 26 players, I wasn’t.

“You don’t really have the right to say that I didn’t make myself available because I wasn’t even in the 26 — and that’s what he [Manders] said on the news.

“I’d like to put the record straight. I’ve been willing to make myself available and don’t appreciate what the Bermuda coach said when asked why I was not there.

“People have been contacting me asking why I haven’t been at training? Why am I going to go involve myself if I haven’t even been included in the 26? Nobody just goes training because they feel that they want to be included in squad and are going to go against the head coach.

“In the last several years I have toured several times and felt like I was a part of the national programme. But we get to a Division Three competition and I’m not included in the 26-man training squad, which I think is foolish.”

Manders declined to comment when contacted yesterday.

The Bermuda Cricket Board announced a 14-man squad that will represent the Island in Malaysia last week. The tournament was originally scheduled to be held in Uganda.

The ICC switched the tournament to Kuala Lumpur after security concerns were raised in the wake of an alleged terrorist plot that was thwarted in the Ugandan capital of Kampala this month.

The change of venue has resulted in the tournament being brought forward by three days. It will now be held from October 23 to 30.

The 50-over tournament will act as a qualifier for the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales.

Bermuda, Nepal, United States, Singapore, Uganda and Malaysia are the Associate nations competing.

The top two teams will be promoted to Division Two and advance to the next phase of qualifiers in Namibia in January, while the third and fourth-placed teams will remain in Division Three.

The fifth and sixth-placed teams will be relegated to Division Four.