Andre “Doc” Manders can hardly wait to showcase his cricket talents on the international scene again.

The former Western Stars, Bermuda and Somerset Cup Match batter has accepted an invitation to play for a Rest of the World team in the Legends Cricket USA International Tournament in Los Angeles from March 23 to 27.

“I am excited and looking forward to it now that everything is finalised and ready to go,” Manders told The Royal Gazette.

“I have never been to California to play, but they tell me the wickets are really good out there around this time of the year. We have a strong team so hopefully we can at least make it to the semi-final or final.

“It’s a round-robin and we will also play a pick of LA and a pick of California so we have two more matches to play after the tournament.”

Canada Masters, USA Legends Eagles and USA Legends Hawks are the remaining teams competing in the four-day tournament to be held at Woodley Park.

It is the second time Manders, who is also a former Somerset Cup Match captain, has represented the Rest of the World team at the event after previously doing so with his sibling Arnold Manders in the Caribbean.

“Arnold and I went about four years ago to Barbados when England, West Indies, Canada and USA played,” he said.

“The last one I went on I did pretty good and they have been trying to get me to go over to New Zealand and Australia. I told them at the time that would be too difficult because I just came back to Bermuda from England and was settling in, but I told them any time they are on this side of the world I could probably make it.”

The father of Bermuda international batter Tre Manders received an initial invitation to participate in the tournament after impressing while playing with Hampshire Over 50s and 60s during his time residing in England.

“I met a guy that played for Somerset who was organising the Rest of the World team,” Manders said. “He had originally played for the Rest of the World and I had played against him.

“I made some runs and got wickets and he complimented me, got my name and information, and that’s how the opportunity came about when I was in the UK several years ago.”

The 65 year-old has kept himself in top shape in preparation for the tournament.

“They already told me I have to play every game so it’s a lot of cricket being played,” he said.

“I’m trying to strengthen my muscles with other things because of all of that twisting and turning. I do a lot of core work instead of all of the running I used to do and I also play Pickleball once or twice a week.”

Manders is a former member of the Bermuda Masters team that won the 2006 Antigua Independence 20/20 Cricket Festival on the Caribbean island and he hopes the island will one day again compete in events such as this.

“I am trying to get the Bermuda Masters team hooked up in it,” he said.

“The Bermuda Masters have not folded but have been inactive in the past 4 to 5 years. After Covid we went downhill because guys didn’t travel. Not only did we have sponsors, we used to do charity work to raise funds and go on trips, but now we’ve kind of lost that.”