All those who continue to make an issue out of the extra weight some of the Bermuda players are carrying around need only to have been present at yesterday’s training session to realise that the reason for this is not rooted in laziness.

On a scorchingly hot morning at the Sir Frank Worrell Ground, located on the University of the West Indies campus on the outskirts of Port of Spain, the players went through a rigorous three-hour work-out involving fitness work, nets and a succession of vigorous fielding drills.

While many of the surrounding journalists panted and moaned in the oppressive heat and scurried ultimately for the relative comfort of the shade, the players sweated buckets as they toiled under an increasingly fierce sun.

After a half an hour warm-up involving much sprinting between various cones and plenty of stretching, the action moved swiftly to the nearby nets where the currently struggling batsmen all had a good 30 to 45 minutes of practice.

Not wanting to exhaust his frontline attack, Logie had arranged for a couple of “net bowlers” to be on hand to ease the burden.

With one of these being the stocky fast bowler Richard Kelly, however, a member of the Trinidad and Tobago national team who is, according to many present, on the fringes of selection for the West Indies, there was certainly no time for the batsmen to relax as they looked up to face the music.

In contrast to countries like England, Australia and South Africa, it is widely excepted that some of the practice facilities in the Caribbean — despite plenty of recent investment — are still a little rough and ready to say the least.

Regrettably for the players, Bermuda were practising in the same nets the South Africans had complained about when they were in Trinidad only last week and there was certainly no reason to suspect that anything significant had been done to rectify the situation.

From the moment the first ball was bowled it was clear that the surfaces were decidedly lively, while it wasn’t long before all the batsmen could be overheard complaining about the alarmingly inconsistent bounce which made deciding whether to go back or forward almost a complete lottery at times.

Dean Minors luckily managed to avoid serious injury after being struck a blow on the shoulder ducking into a short ball from young Stefan Kelly which didn’t bounce anywhere near as much as it should have while most continued to glare suspiciously at the wicket as some balls flew through at shin height and others over the shoulder. A bulky chest guard was a necessity yesterday, not just an added precaution.

The wickets also offered lavish turn and bounce, a fact which brought a devious smile to the face of Bermuda’s champion bowler Dwayne Leverock, who twirled away happily in a spin bowler’s dream world for close to two hours with only one short water break.

Coming from Bermuda, of course, all the players are accustomed to playing on dodgy surfaces. It’s just a fact of life in league cricket back home.

But as Lionel Cann implied in rather more colourful language, having had his off stump knocked back by a Delyone Borden offbreak, that skidded through at ankle height, to be confronted by such shoddy practice facilities at a World Cup really is a disgrace and hardly assisted the batsmen in finding the form they have been so desperately lacking of late.

After more than two hours in the nets, the players moved straight into a fielding session directed by Logie and Herbie Bascome.

Ponderous is the word used most often to describe Bermuda’s performances in this area, but if yesterday was anything to go by, it seems apparent that they are determined to do something about it.

While the intensity level was good throughout the net session, in most cases it got even better as the fielding drills progressed, with even the bulkier figures flinging themselves around in all directions as the likes of Clay Smith shouted loud and enthusiastic encouragement.

A stunning, one-handed diving catch from Kevin Hurdle was met with a roar of approval from his team-mates as wicketkeeper Minors rushed across to give him a high-five and a congratulatory hug.

A flat, bullet-like throw from David Hemp, which fizzed straight into Logie’s waiting baseball mitt from all of 70 yards, received several whistles of admiration and yet more clapping, pats on backs and high-fives all round.

The only embarrassing moment came when the typically cocky Cann readied himself for yet another catch while shouting “give me Tendulkar, give me Tendulkar!”, before promptly dropping the straightforward chance above his head and having to retrieve the ball from 60 yards behind him with the laughter of team-mates ringing in his ears — the cricketing equivalent of having your trousers pulled down in public.

For the most part though it was impressive, high-energy stuff and a clear indication that despite the long run of poor results and the often brutal media criticism, all Logie’s talk of confidence remaining intact is not just the defensive bluster of a man under pressure to deliver.

Whatever happens at this World Cup and whatever obvious technical shortcomings the team might have against the sport’s best, at least nobody should be able to accuse them of not giving it their all. On the evidence of yesterday alone, they’re as up for the challenge as they possibly can be.