the direction in which Bermuda cricket is headed.

The 24-year-old all-rounder, who last week called on Bermuda Cricket Board of Control to urgently deal with the disciplinary case involving Del Hollis so that the spinner could return to Scotland to join his club team, is so far the only current national team member to comment on what many perceive to be a dramatic drop in standards.

"I have a love for this sport and I want to see it progress. But on the course it's on now I honestly feel that it will not advance,'' said Cann from his current home in Scotland.

"Bermuda needs to take an overall look at their programme if they are to think seriously about international competition. There are so many areas in which we are lacking.'' In an inteview this week he zeroed in on several areas which he felt needed attention if cricket's credibility was to be restored. And among his priorities was the selection of a new national team skipper to replace Albert Steede.

"First of all we need a new captain with experience. Albert Steede is a great player. But he just doesn't have the qualities of a captain.

"The players in the national squad feel this way but they don't want to speak up. The guys don't want him as captain and there is a lot of animosity among the team. You can't have that.'' Former national team skipper Arnold Manders is the man Cann feels should be given the job with either Clay Smith or even Steede named as his assistant.

Bermuda, according to Cann, should also take urgent steps to employ a full-time national coach -- either bringing somebody in from overseas or appointing a prominent former local player.

"Allan Douglas is doing his best as coach, but we really need a full-time coach -- either a Bermudian or somebody from outside. We need a full-time person who has travelled abroad and done everything pertaining to cricket,'' added Cann.

"Look what the BFA have done. Appointing Clyde Best was a good move. He has done it all, at a local level and around the world at an international level.

Bermuda is proud of him, he is an ideal role model.'' Cann remains uncertain whether recent moves by the BCBC to get Bermuda into the prestigious Red Stripe tournament in the Caribbean were appropriate, especially as local cricket continues to drag its heels.

"If we want to play first class cricket we have got to use a first class approach, use a professional approach in everything we do and I question whether that is happening.

"This stuff about Red Stripe in 1999, that is above our league. It's alright to think that we can possibly get into it, but let us produce first and show that we are classy enough to be competitive.

"It's impossible for Bermuda to compete at that level against powerful islands in the Caribbean when we already have trouble competing in one-day matches, as was seen in the ICC recently.

"The Shell/Sandals is okay since it's overs and it gives us good exposure.

But I can't see us being ready for anything more than that.'' Bermuda's insistence on playing open cricket in the league is another issue that bothers Cann. That approach, he feels, is a waste of time since all of the competitions that Bermuda enter internationally are of limited overs.

He noted that in Scotland teams were playing nothing but limited overs and Scotland's success at the ICC where they reached the semi-finals on their first try showed the move had paid off.

While admitting it was nice to give the public a chance to see Bermuda take on Test teams and top club teams from abroad, Cann believes local players would benefit more if they played against smaller countries such as those who competed in the ICC Trophy.

And the lack of a structured youth league also concerns Cann.

At Arbroath where he recently signed a two-year contract as the overseas professional, Cann spends much of his time coaching youngsters at all ages and says he has a lot of respect for the youth programme operating in Scotland.

"Bermuda definitely needs to focus on the youth. Here in Scotland we have every age group involved in good competitions. There is an under-nine division, under-12, under-15, under-17 and under-19. Bermuda needs to draw up programme like that, it's an absolute necessity,'' he said.

"If Bermuda are not going to do that they might as well scrap cricket completely. We've seen how all of the ICC Trophy countries that we used to beat have advanced.

"In 1985, we won the International Youth Tournament, now we only have two players left who play in the senior national team. The tournament will be held in Bermuda this year and everybody in the Island will be able to see how the other countries have leaped so far ahead of ours.''