The following letter was written to Bermuda Cricket Board president Mr. Reginald Pearman and copied to the Ministry of Education, Sport and Recreation and The Royal Gazette:

Dear Mr. Pearman,

There are many occasions when I have felt compelled to publicly state my concerns on the management of local cricket but, out of respect for the dignity of our sport and the Board, I have expressed my sentiments to Board members privately.

After much reflection and careful consideration of the magnitude of the situation involving Mr. Orondé Bascome, I have concluded that I cannot remain silent on this matter.

So serious are the ramifications of this matter on a national scale that I cannot be silent, as to do so would be an act of gross negligence on my conscience as a Bermudian, and as a man deeply concerned about the youth in our country.

It is therefore, with the utmost respect for your position in particular and the Board in general that I write this letter pertaining to the Board’s recent handling of Mr. Orondé Bascome.

I simply cannot comprehend the Board’s actions in this matter, which appear to me to be impulsive, harsh and ill-considered. In my opinion, the handling of Mr. Orondé Bascome speaks loudly about the Board’s management of people, or as it is commonly called in the military, man-management. Perhaps a better phrase in this case would be “mis-management”.

There are two serious issues relating to the Board’s actions with which I take grave exception:

The Board’s abject heavy-handedness in the immediate withdrawal of its support for Mr. Bascome; and

The public flaying of this young man’s character and reputation.

Surely, the Bermuda Cricket Board, like any other sport-oriented organisation in Bermuda, has as one of its mandates the development of our young people, particularly those who have proven themselves as being worthy of our investment, guidance and encouragement. It is widely accepted that Mr. Orondé Bascome is one of the brightest, most-talented young men in this country, both as an academic and certainly as a sportsman.

He definitely qualifies as a young man worthy of our investment and support, even when he appears to have gone astray.

As you are aware, I had the pleasure and honour of being the manager of the under-19 cricket team that visited Barbados for three weeks last year, a team ably captained by Mr. Bascome. It is an irrefutable fact that Mr. Bascome proved himself to be an excellent leader, ambassador and role model during this tour.

As a matter of fact, throughout his life he has personified exemplary demeanour, on and off the field, and his record of being an outstanding individual is without blemish. Surely, given his widely known sterling conduct, his commendable attributes and his untarnished representation of his country, Mr. Bascome deserved better and fairer treatment by the Board than he received.

Moreover, I am finding it difficult to reconcile how the Board could so heavy-handedly treat the son of a man who has sacrificed so much for his country. Mr. Herbie Bascome jr has repeatedly and consistently put his love and passion for cricket and sense of duty to country before the demands of his role as a father and husband. It completely baffles me to think that the very organisation for which he is currently sacrificing so much could then do immeasurable damage to his son’s dreams, character and honour, and that of his entire family.

I certainly am not suggesting that the Bascome family be given preferential treatment but, anyone in similar circumstances to those of Orondé surely must merit fairer treatment than was dispensed by the Board, or even a second chance to redeem himself. Where is the fairness in immediate and harsh withdrawal of support for Mr. Orondé Bascome, which was exacerbated by a scathing report in the media? Where is the logic? Where is the principle of a second chance? Where is the “big-picture” plan for the overall development of our youth?

I am aware that the Board is currently sponsoring a number of young men in their continued education and development, and for that, the Board deserves commendation. However, that is no solace to Mr. Orondé Bascome nor is it justification for the Board to dispose of him so harshly and quickly. It certainly does not assuage the very damaging actions of the Board in this case.

I realise that, having made such a public spectacle of this whole affair, the Board is likely to obstinately dig its heels in and stand by its decision, in all likelihood in some misguided attempt to save face or as a grand stand of bravado. However, my plea is that the Board revisits this matter with a view to allowing this young man the opportunity to redeem himself.

As for the “big picture” to which I referred earlier, we stand to lose much more as a country if we commit such shocking acts in handling our young people.

“The Village” has to be in the business of up-lifting its youth, not the desecration of them. We simply cannot destroy the hope and aspirations of even one of our young men, especially if they may be perceived as having gone awry. We simply must pick them up when they fall and put them back on track, rather than discard them. To defile their character and destroy their dreams will only lead to the ruination of “the whole village”.

The Board’s decision in this case is a very tragic one indeed and sadly, does not augur well for the youth of Bermuda. My spirit has been deeply saddened by the outcome. I sincerely hope that the members of the Board are big enough men to be able to put aside their egos and accept that a devastating error has been made and further, that there is a better, more productive way to handle this matter.

I also hope that the Board can see fit to afford Mr. Bascome the benefit of a second chance overseas in order to salvage his reputation and his dreams, as well as to learn from this entire episode. Should it do so, I believe that the Board’s stature and image within the community would be greatly enhanced, and that a win-win scenario for all will unfold.

Respectfully,

LIUETENANT COLONEL

EDWARD J. LAMB

Dear Sir,

I am writing to express my shock and disgust with the way the BCB have seemingly attempted to publicly disgrace the young cricketer Oronde Bascome.

Specifically I am referring to the fact that the withdrawal of his scholarship was announced on Bermuda’s television channels and a long and negative article was written about him in the press.

I am aware that both his parents and Oronde himself were abroad when this announcement took place and consequently were unable to respond to the matter immediately. I am wondering what the motivation was for the negative treatment of this gifted and well-mannered black Bermudian boy and high school graduate.

As a black British woman who has been a recipient of public funding for furthering my education, I know there are certain procedures and regulations that funding bodies must follow. I question whether the BCB has procedures in place and in fact is fit to administer public funds.

In all the time that I have lived in England, New Zealand and Bermuda I have never heard of a student who, for whatever reason, has had their scholarship withdrawn, exposed in this disgusting manner. This is not normal practice and I think that it can only serve to discourage other young and gifted black Bermudians, especially males, from approaching public bodies for funding.

It is extremely difficult to adjust to a new culture and to be away from home for the first time. Even as an adult, I found it very difficult to adjust to living in two new countries.

When I first got to Bermuda I wanted to leave almost immediately because of the condition of my housing, school and cockroaches! It was because of the support of my newly found Bermudian friends that I felt it was worth giving the place a go.

Oronde would have found the Welsh and English cultures very different from what he has experienced thus far.

In addition to this, anyone who has ever been to university knows that the first year of college for students is about networking, getting used to being independent and responsible, and learning to cope with the demands of the new place of learning. British universities are very fluid organisations and you are not necessarily offered help and support unless you seek it. There is an expectation that you can cope.

University experience is extremely different to high school in the UK. I believe that the first academic year is about adjustment and even the initial assessments at the end of the first year are not significant as is reflected by how much the first year contributes to the final years grading.

In most British universities and colleges it is the final year of the course that matters the most and the cumulative knowledge gained over three to four years is assessed.

Oronde was not even given the opportunity to complete his first academic year, he was not given the opportunity to adjust and to learn to become truly independent. He did not sit any examination and consequently the BCB cannot justify withdrawing his scholarship on academic grounds.

I spent most of my first year at university adjusting and coping, I did not ace the first year but by the fourth year I was one of only five people to get the highest grading in my graduating class.

We must allow our youth time to make mistakes but continue to believe that they can achieve. It was through public funding that I attained my degrees and if I had been unceremoniously stripped of funding and exposed in the first year I would have been devastated.

I know that Oronde and his family are strong but public bodies should have the best practice in administering public funds and the underlying rationale for their existence is to be supportive and to encourage the development of our youth worldwide.

Respectively yours,

MICHELLE WALES