Bermuda's David Hemp has spoken of his desire to help the Island become cricket's top associate nation.

Hemp, who is captain of Glamorgan, was in Guernsey last weekend for the Barclays Wealth Super Sixes and Twenty20+. He said Bermuda had the long-term aim of full international status as a one-day side.

"Becoming a Test nation is a long way away, but one-day cricket is obviously the goal at the moment," Hemp told the Guernsey Press and Star.

"To achieve that you have to ensure that you are competitive day-in day-out and you've got to be the number one associate team. We want to take our cricket forward and be a shining example to the other associates."

Hemp, 36, a county player for 16 years, said that development of smaller cricketing nations like Bermuda was an issue for the International Cricket Council to struggle with. "Why put so much money in when, in reality, is Bermuda ever going to be able to compete on the world stage? Could the money be used in a different way to expand the game?"

His countrymen have natural talent and ability, said Hemp, who was born in Bermuda and left at the age of five.

He added that Guernsey would have to wrestle with the problem of demands on players as they climb the ICC ladder.

"Your players are going to have to become semi-pro and combine that with full-time jobs. It is very difficult to combine the two, from the players' and the associations' point of view," he told the paper.

Hemp, whose contract with Glamorgan runs out at the end of next season, has committed to playing for Bermuda until at least 2009, when the ICC qualifying tournament for the 2011 World Cup will take place.

He said that this year's event was a great experience. Hemp's previous international experience was limited to an England A tour.

"For me personally it was great. Representing my country - I was born there and I have that right and it was an honour and a privilege to represent the island. I loved being part of that and trying to help them to get better as a team if I can."

He said that if there was one thing Bermuda had learned in increased exposure to high-class opposition over the last couple of years, it was the value of maintaining a good performance level.

"We have found when we play against the stronger associate sides, like Kenya and Ireland, they are very consistent in the way they play," Hemp said.

"At the moment we are not so consistent in our performances against those countries, but we have been in positions where we felt we should have won games and we need to work on finishing those off."