Cricket supremo Ed Bailey, who vehemently denied a television report earlier this week that two members of the Bermuda youth team tested positive for drugs prior to the International Youth Tournament in Holland last July, was forced to confront new allegations yesterday that players were smoking marijuana throughout the tour.

In interviews with The Royal Gazette this week, members of the team, who would speak only if their anonymity was guaranteed, said that while drug use was not tolerated, there were several players who were smoking marijuana.

One player asserted that at least half of the team, made up of 14 regulars and two reserves, were involved in drug use while they were in Holland, a country noted for its liberalised drug laws.

Another player, however, said that he did not see anyone smoking marijuana during the tour, but added that it wouldn't surprise him if team-mates had used drugs.

Bailey, who earlier scoffed at a ZBM report that two players tested positive for drugs, said there was no way players could have been tested since Government facilities could not accomodate a request for testing all the players prior to the tour.

The Bermuda Cricket Board of Control (BCBC) president said that in the absence of tests, precautionary measures were zealously undertaken to ensure that players were informed that drug use would not be tolerated during the overseas trip.

"I'm wondering if somebody's putting up some people to say some things because this is getting very annoying,'' said Bailey. "We called several times and begged to have these boys tested because of the Miami Seven episode.

They were unable to do it. I wanted everyone tested. The board took every precautionary measure.

"We send away players and we only hope and pray and we took every precaution to make sure that everything was alright. I'm annoyed that Government doesn't have facilities for testing and stuff like that.. .this is where we run into problems.'' One member of the squad said that it was his belief that some players were tested but he was unable to say where or when the tests occurred.

Government analyst Dr. Allan Young confirmed yesterday that no tests were conducted on players in Bermuda prior to the tour.

"The BCBC approached us and we declined to do the work for them,'' said Dr.

Young. "The situation is the laboratory is at capacity and in the absence of additional equipment we cannot offer services to any new agencies who approach us.'' Bermuda finished the tournament in last place with an 0-6 record.

When told that players said there was evidence of drug use, Bailey said: "The players said that? I have personally gone to the National Cricket Association, who run the ICC, and there were no reports at all of any problems associated with the Bermuda team.

"The competition was in July and now I get a report of this nature at the end of September. The only problem I have is that if that player is not implicating himself I wish he or his parents would come to me. It's strange that now if what he's saying is correct, why doesn't he just say who it is so we can take disciplinary action. The shelter of anonymity doesn't help the board.'' Bailey said there were numerous meetings prior to the team's departure, with parents also in attendance, when the issue of drug use was raised.

Bailey gave an unqualified vote of confidence to the BCBC management team in Holland -- George Rock, the coach, and Ellsworth Christopher, the manager, who were accompanied by Wilton Smith, who is BCBC secretary. He said the triumvirate were keenly vigilant of any disciplinary problems.

"This whole thing is malicious,'' said Bailey. "I can only respond in accordance with the reports that were given to me by Mr. Christopher, who's well respected. That's why I picked a management team of that nature. I know they will not tolerate (drug use). Normally we send only two, but we sent a third manager because we wanted to take an abundance of precaution that one would take seven members of the team the other would take the other seven.

That way there was constant supervision.'' Said Bailey later: "If anyone was using drugs and the management team was unaware of it... what is annoying is if players wait and then go to the press and say things instead of saying things to the management team. That concerns me. And I wonder whether they're telling the truth. Why would they wait until two months later? "What is so malicious about it, obviously, is that there are some people out there in the community who want to smear cricket and just be terribly malicious.

"Why all this anonymity? If the individual comes forward and gives me a good reason, I would launch an investigation. But I have no reason to disbelieve what the management team has put on paper.'' Bailey said the only incident he was aware of was a heated confrontation between the Bermuda and Scottish teams when the Scots unleashed racial attacks against the Bermuda players.

YOUNG CRICKETERS -- The Bermuda youth squad were winless in their seven matches during the International Youth Tournament in Holland last July.