Bermuda cricket officials were yesterday prepared to play a waiting game, but do not want to foster any premature hopes that Bermuda may be granted a place in the World Cup on a technicality.

Numerous radio reports from Nairobi, Kenya, where the recent ICC Trophy Tournament was played, have suggested that the United Arab Emirates, winners of the tournament, broke rules and could be disqualified for including ineligible players on their squad.

According to reports, UAE -- who have been referred to as being Pakistan's B team -- had a number of players who were suspiciously registered and who also play for a club in Lahore, Pakistan.

ICC rules call for a four-year residency period and ICC Associate Members, who are responsible for the tournament, will be investigating whether each UAE player has, in fact, lived in that country for four years.

The United States was apparently hit hard by the same rule, resulting in former West Indies Test players like Faoud Bacchus and Everton Mattis being banished from their ranks.

Reginald Pearman, first vice president of the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control, said that he had been made aware of the report regarding the UAE more than a week ago, but has not received any further details.

However, Pearman admitted that Bermuda were not included among those who brought the matter to the attention of Associate Members. "We didn't raise it, I'm certain of that,'' he said.

Ed Bailey, president of the BCBC and also chairman of the Associate Members Qualification's Committee, was in Kenya for the last four weeks but he could not be reached yesterday.

However, he told a Bermuda radio station the matter was being investigated by the ICC but did not elaborate.

"For a week now we have been aware of the issue . . . but we have had no further details about it,'' said Pearman. "The (ICC) may have to conduct a serious investigation.'' With everything surrounding the developments in Kenya remaining vague, there appears to be no reason for Bermudians to raise their hopes at this stage at least.

Meanwhile, Pearman said that Bermuda should be proud of how the team performed and that every attempt should be made to ensure the players receive a robust welcome when they arrive from England aboard British Airways around 6 p.m.

tonight.

"The team should be commended for what they did manage to achieve,'' said Pearman. "Although it would have been nice to have finished in the top three they nevertheless acquitted themselves well. In fact they did much better than most people felt they would.'' Bermuda cricket is expected to get a major boost from the success the team had in Kenya with local officials anxious to pursue ways of improving both domestic and international programmes.

"We are assessing our overall programme and looking towards entering more international tournaments,'' said Pearman.

While noting that the cost would probably end up being the determining factor, Pearman indicated that it was quite possible that Bermuda would be involved in tournaments in the Caribbean or, possibly, the triangular tournament involving Canada and the United States would be revived.

UAE, Kenya and Holland are the three countries which qualified for the World Cup, scheduled for 1996.