Legendary West Indies paceman Colin Croft has offered his services as a bowling coach as Bermuda's national squad prepare for the ICC World Cup qualifiers in South Africa, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

The 55-year-old Guyana-born cricketer, who scalped 125 wickets in 27 Test for the Windies, is a certified West Indies Cricket Board Level Two coach whose expertise could be useful as Bermuda bid to requalify for cricket's premier showpiece in April.

"I always display commitment, diligence, honesty, continued development and professionalism in the execution of duties," Croft was quoted as saying.

"I would welcome an opportunity to personally elaborate on my experiences, qualifications and suitability for this position."

Croft, who represented the Windies between 1977 and 1982, was once a feared right-arm pace bowler and to this day is still regarded as one of the greatest bowlers to emerge from the Caribbean. He also helped Lancashire to an English County Championship during a five-year playing stint in the UK.

Of his tenacity on the pitch, one team-mate famously remarked: "Crofty would bounce his grandmother if he thought there was a wicket in it."

Croft's haul of eight for 29 against Pakistan at Queen's Park Oval, Trinidad, remains the best performance by a West Indian bowler in Test match cricket.

It is understood Bermuda national coach Gus Logie, now in the final months of his BCB contract, is keen to have various assistants come onboard prior to the World Cup qualifiers. But whether or not Croft's services will be taken into consideration remained unclear yesterday.

"This guy should be coaching England or the West Indies!" said BCB vice-president Allen Richardson. "His resume is impressive, but at the moment I don't know what the Board's plans are."

In addition to his wealth of cricket expertise, Croft is also a certifed teacher, sports journalist, commercial airline pilot and an air traffic controller.

The ex-Test cricketer last visited Bermuda in 2006 as a member of a West Indies Masters squad who competed in the popular Twenty20 World Cricket Classic at the National Sports Centre (NSC).

It was during that visit the outspoken West Indian hightlighted flaws in Bermuda's bowling that was put to the sword against a seasoned South African team.

"This was a South African team with an average age of 43 beating a team that is going to the World Cup. If I was the Bermuda team I would have gone home for two weeks to have a very good look at myself because I would want to know what the hell happened here," Croft told The Royal Gazette.

"I would really want to know how for 20 overs we couldn't bowl a line or length to men 20 years older than they were. You must adjust the line and length according to the conditions and also to what you see happening."

He added: "Cricket is not a mechanical game; you cannot just set the computer and let it run the same way all of the time. Every delivery you have to think. Every time you run up to bowl you must have something else in mind.

"You cannot bowl short and wide in one-day cricket because if you do you are looking for blows. If South Africa can pump 266 runs in 20 overs, then think about what can happen in the World Cup. If you bowl that to India they will score 400 runs in 50 overs . . . I promise you that."

Croft's words could not have been more prophetic as Rahul Dravid's India despatched Bermuda's bowlers for a record 413 runs at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad during the 2007 World Cup.