Bermuda?s premier spinner Dwayne (Sluggo) Leverock is a doubt for the national squad?s upcoming tour to Dubai after slipping on a cricket ball and injuring his ankle.

The larger than life Leverock, a key member of the Island?s first-choice attack, rolled his ankle in the training-ground accident last Thursday and sustained a slight ligament tear ? although fears that he had broken it were allayed following an X-ray soon after.

National coach Gus Logie told yesterday that the left arm spinner is receiving regular treatment from physio Daniel Morgan and is expected to make a quick recovery ? despite being seen on crutches over the weekend.

Logie stressed, however, that he will only take his champion bowler on the Middle East trip ? which begins on January 28 ? if he is 100 percent confident that the ankle will suffer no adverse affects from the hectic schedule of cricket which has been planned.

Bermuda are to play five 50-over games in only nine days against the United Arab Emirates ? although none of them will be full one day internationals because of the latter?s failure to qualify for the World Cup.

?I will be speaking regularly to the physio and the picture should be clearer towards the end of the week,? Logie said.

?Luckily, the injury does not appear to be that serious and Daniel thinks he will be back training again soon. The question for me is whether it is worth risking him aggravating the injury on a tour where we are playing only friendly games. There is a lot of cricket coming up over the year and I do not want to jeopardise his chances of playing the important games. I hope to be in a position to make a decision later on in the week.?

The 34-year old Leverock has played an integral part in Bermuda?s recent success, starring with the ball at the ICC Trophy in Ireland last summer and also in Bermuda?s Intercontinental Cup regional group victory over Canada and the Cayman Islands.

In five first class matches, he has taken an impressive 31 wickets at an economy rate of only 2.55 runs an over.

His career best came against the USA in July last year when he recorded figures of 7 for 57 in the Americans? first innings.

Meanwhile, the Bermuda Cricket Board have not yet finalised the squad for the Dubai tour, with chief executive Neil Speight saying yesterday that visa applications and drug tests are still ongoing.