Dear Sir,

Bermuda was recently selected as the recipient of the ICC's 'Best Overall Cricket Development Programme' award. The Sports Minister El James, in an article appearing in the RG dated March 20, 2008, chose this achievement as a means to hit back at the local and international media's criticism of the state of Bermuda's cricket.

I think he also implied that cricketers should "not read print".

Surely that can't be the right message.

The BCB president, Mr. Pearman, was also quoted as saying "The Board's efforts have not only been recognised at the regional level, but we now know that our development programme is the best in the world."

I would like to congratulate the BCB on their achievements but also at the same time put them into perspective.

Previous winners of the Global Best Overall Cricket Development Programme include Singapore (2006), Uganda (2005), Namibia (2004), Indonesia (2003) and Samoa (2002).

To have been eligible for the award, Bermuda had to win the award for having the best programme in the Americas region.

Previous winners of the Americas Region include Chilean Cricket Association (2006), Manitoba Cricket Association (Canada) (2004), Guantanamo Province Development (Cuba)(2003) and North Texas Cricket Association (2002).

Bermuda also won it in 2005.

I did not even know they played cricket in Cuba or where Manitoba was.

I am willing to bet that cricket is NOT the national sport in Chile, Cuba, Canada nor Texas, Singapore, Indonesia nor Samoa.

So of the 10 cricket associations to have won these awards, Bermuda is most probably one of three (Namibia and maybe Uganda) where cricket is a national sport but is most probably the only one to have received millions of tax payers dollars.

I would not boast about winning an award that clearly with the financial support that the BCB receives from Government it should be winning EVERY year.

So while the BCB is winning all these "Development" awards, the men's team, the Under-19s and the women's teams are continuing to take licks.

Seems that all the emphasis in on winning "Development" Awards. What about making sure your national teams actually win matches.

SETTING THE BAR MUCH HIGHER

NOT A ROCKET SCIENTIST