Bermuda's build-up for the ICC Trophy in Kenya next year, contrary to suggestions in yesterday's The Royal Gazette that he was `sticking by his decision to retire'.

"I am still very much involved with the national team, it should be obvious after I went to Barbados with them to train for the ICC next year,'' said Douglas.

What concerns Douglas is that the article wrongly suggested that he had retired and only went to Barbados because of a knee injury to overseas student Dean Minors. According to Douglas this is far from the truth.

"I was approached by the board and was asked to help the national squad in their preparation for Kenya and I agreed to do so. When the team went to Barbados it was to prepare for the event which is one year down the line,'' said Douglas.

"Everybody who went to Barbados is involved in the build-up to the World Cup and are totally committed to the programme in the future. The board has come up with an ambitious programme and I want to help Bermuda get to the top.'' Douglas said that it was important for him to make it clear that it was never his intention just to go to Barbados to take advantage of a trip and not stay on and help the team. He says he has made a total commitment to the board and intends to see it through.

"For anyone to say that I travelled just as a replacement for somebody is not right. Whoever said it just didn't check their facts. People may think that I took the trip for the sake of travelling and that I am now kicking the board in their backside which is not correct at all,'' said Douglas.

The former Bermuda captain also defended his absence from the squad named yesterday for Sunday's game against Derbyshire, saying that the board had long been informed that he would be unavailable.

"We have a men's day service at our church and I have advised the board that I will be unavailable at that time, there is nothing more to it. They know that I have committed myself to Bermuda cricket,'' said Douglas.

Douglas says the public may have wrongly concluded that he had retired from international cricket last season when he stopped playing for a while and was absent from representative matches.

"Last year I stopped playing because of an injury. Now that I see what the board wants to achieve I have made myself available and I am looking forward to helping the team prepare for what lies ahead,'' he explained.