WHAT on earth were Bermuda Cricket Board of Control thinking of?

Of all the astonishing stories that have appeared on these pages over the last few years, Tuesday's revelation that local cricket's governing body had refused to sanction a tour involving a whole host of the sport's all-time greats will perhaps go down as the most baffling.

The Testimonial Committee, who for some years now have been bringing in top name players to take part in their annual end-of-season exhibition, had really outdone themselves this time.

Their guest list read like a veritable Who's Who of cricketing superstars . . . Sir Viv Richards, Courtney Walsh, Desmond Haynes, Gordon Greenidge, Joel Garner, Phil Simmons, Gus Logie, Colin Croft, Collis King, Jeffrey Dujon, Roger Harper, Robert Haynes, Richie Richardson, Ezra Mosely . . .

Cricketing nations elsewhere would have crawled over broken glass to have been given the opportunity to showcase such an array of Caribbean talent.

But not our administrators.

No. Far more important that the Cup Match trials (yes, trials) go ahead as scheduled.

Had there been a clash of dates with Cup Match itself, then perhaps we all could have understood the Board's stance.

But to deny the sporting public a chance to see first hand some of the greatest names ever to grace a cricket field simply because plans for the all-star tour interfered with a couple of practice games, really borders on the absurd.

No wonder Testimonial Committee chairman Custerfield Crockwell was so incensed. "It's a slap in the face, an insult," he told this newspaper.

Indeed it is, but more importantly it's acutely embarrassing for the country as a whole.

The former Test stars, who we understand had been willing to make the trip for very little personal reward, have never likely experienced such a snub.

Who could blame them if they never set foot in Bermuda again?

BCBC president Reggie Pearman appeared to be abrogating his responsibility when he explained he had not been at last week's meeting at which the decision not to sanction the tour was taken.

But as local cricket's top man, he surely had the power to demand his fellow executives think again.

In any case, his comment that the tour's timing was "a little off" suggested rather strongly that he was in full agreement with the decision, before adding that the Board were currently in discussions to bring in Canada's national side.

No disrespect to our friends from the north, but their appeal doesn't quite match that of Sir Viv and company!

- ADRIAN ROBSON