ASIDE from a couple of minor grumbles, the 14-man squad announced this week by Bermuda's national selectors for the ICC Trophy in Ireland this July contained few surprises.

Indeed, the status of captain Clay Smith's wonky knee has commanded more column inches and air time recently than debate over the rest of the squad put together. While one may feel a tad sorry for the likes of Corey Hill, whose medium-paced swingers may well have suited the conditions in Dublin, there can be little doubt that the squad selected by and large contains the best cricketers Bermuda has to offer.

On paper at least, it is a squad of impressive batting depth and spinning talent, but somewhat light on quality seam bowling. While Smith has made all the right noises about how much he rates the medium pace of Saleem Mukuddem, Dennis Archer, Kevin Hurdle and Ryan Steede ? "they can all do a job for the team" to coin one of his favourite phrases ? it is difficult to believe the likes of Middlesex starlet Ed Joyce will be losing too much sleep at the prospect of facing this pop-gun attack.

The lack of a top-class seamer to complement the slower bowlers was clear as day throughout Bermuda's international engagements last summer, and while Jacobi Robinson continues to frustrate in terms of consistency and attitude, and until the highly promising Stefan Kelly reaches full maturity, there is no obvious solution readily at the disposal of the powers that be.

But now is not the time for pessimism. Just to have all the best cricketers together in one squad and committed to one cause is reason enough to celebrate. And with the 14 named, conversation will predictably turn to the possible starting XI which will take the field against Ireland in the opening round on July 1.

Conditions on the day, injuries and (no doubt) behaviour will obviously dictate a flexible approach to selection. And while Bermuda's bowling trump card lies with its spinners, with Dwayne "Sluggo" Leverock and the young Delyone Borden a useful combination by anybody's standards, it is difficult to believe the wickets in Ireland will be that responsive to the turning ball.

Nevertheless, a balanced line up, one which boasts considerable batting depth and a large number of bowling options might read something like this:

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Little in the way of controversy here. Injuries aside, Steede has looked in commanding nick so far this season, scoring a brutal hundred on the first day of the season against Cleveland's collection of trundlers. An opener by choice and by right, the Western Stars veteran will be hoping to improve upon his modest performances at past ICC Trophies. He will also want to dispel a lingering suspicion he is a proven destroyer of mediocre bowling but struggles ? through a lack of positive foot movement ? to dominate higher quality bowling, particularly given some movement in the air and off the track.

Pitcher meanwhile, is the perfect foil for the explosive Steede. Blessed with a enviably calm temperament, nothing much phases this youngster from St. David's. Since returning from the cricket academy in South Africa over the winter, his old tendency of playing across his front pad looks to have been replaced by a straighter blade, while his off-side driving on the front foot against Western Stars two weeks ago was a delight to behold. With Steede looking to attack in the first 15 overs with the fielding restrictions in place, Pitcher would look to anchor the entire innings and bat through. His right arm dibbly dobs may also come in handy if Smith is at a loose end in the field.

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The old warhorse has shown no sign of slowing up so far this year, and would be ideally placed at three to maintain the momentum if a wicket falls in the first 15 overs. A powerful left-hander, his presence in the top three would guarantee a left hand/right hand partnership early on which could prove useful in disrupting the rhythm of the opposition's opening bowlers. Capable of producing both the sublime and the ridiculous, there really is no other position for this gifted stroke-maker in the twilight of his career. Bottom-hand dominated, a clever captain will quickly learn to instruct his bowlers to bowl outside his off stump to a packed off-side field, where his range of strokes is more limited. A bit of a liability in the field these days, Marshall is one of the guys Smith is going to have to try and hide.

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Bermuda's best batsman by a distance, who possesses the technique, determination and temperament to cut it with the very best. Rumour has it that he is pondering the option of batting outside the top four to shadow the tail, but given the depth of batting at the team's disposal, such a move would be a criminal waste. As one of the few in the team with the proven ability to score hundreds at this level, any query as to whether Smith should bat outside of the top four is a non-starter. There has been much debate over the state of the knee and whether the skipper has been given preferential treatment. But so what if he has? A half-fit Clay Smith in Ireland is still better than taking a fully-fit reserve and given his history, the smart money would be on Smith proving his detractors wrong.

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Another left hander should slot in at number five, with the steady St. David's allrounder adding an element of grit to the middle order. Like Pitcher, Borden looks to have straightened out his technique since returning from South Africa and his tendency ? prevalent among most left handers ? to overbalance towards the off side and play across straight balls shaping back into him, seems to have been consigned to the past. Supremely talented, Borden has yet demonstrate a hunger for big scores both domestically and internationally and it remains to be seen how he copes at the higher level. A big turning off spinner, Borden's bowling improves by the day and he will be an important resource in tandem with Leverock.

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A proven destroyer of the older ball with a quite simply phenomenal eye, Tucker fits the bill at six. Capable of late-innings pyrotechnics, the vice-captain also possesses the experience to bat sensibly with the tail if need be. Another man who has under-performed at ICC Trophies in the past, Tucker will surely be keen to shine it what is likely to be his last appearance at the tournament. An accurate medium pacer, the Southampton Rangers skipper may well have a role to play with the ball, while his electric fielding close to the bat will be a real asset in a team carrying a few slow-coaches.

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Like Smith, the South African's real weapon is his temperament and assurance under pressure. Any man who can score back to back hundreds in Cup Match as a foreigner without being dismissed, with all the pressure and expectation that brings with it, has got to have some guts. As he proved in internationals last summer, Mukuddem has a clear understanding of how to bat both in the middle and final phase of a limited overs innings and is impressively adept at rotating the strike, keeping the ball on the carpet and exploiting the gaps of a spread field. And ideal candidate to shepherd the tail, Mukuddem will also have to perform well with the new ball in his hand if Bermuda are going to make any early inroads against the better batting sides in the competition. Tidy if unspectacular, Mukuddem is a deceptive medium pacer who hits the seam and may well revel in Irish conditions. Bermuda should be thankful they have him at their disposal.

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A favourite of Smith's, Minors is a shoe-in to command the wicketkeeping spot and a formidable prospect at number eight in the order. Floundering in the cricketing wilderness for some time, Minors has returned to the fray with renewed vigour and has looked sharp behind the stumps so far this year.

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Perhaps the most controversial of the picks. Former Bermuda all-rounder Noel Gibbons voiced his concern over Archer's inclusion in the pages of this week, with Smith quickly coming to the Bajan's defence. What seems to have been forgotten is that Archer was one of Bermuda's better performers last summer throughout the Americas Championship and the Intercontinental Cup, while his calm demeanour and keen cricketing mind are well-recognised traits among the squad's senior management. For me, Archer shades Lionel Cann out of the number nine spot as the superior bowler who can hold his own with the bat (as a crucial 44 against Barbados last summer clearly showed). Deceptively slippery, Archer's poor performance with the ball in a club game last weekend was an aberration in an otherwise consistent showing over many years. He is a little ponderous in the field, however.

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Bermuda's best bowler since Clarence Parfitt, Leverock has by all accounts been training voraciously for this tournament and is fiercely determined to do well. While it is not absolutely certain the wickets in Ireland will offer him much in the way of assistance, Leverock has the ability to mix it up and bowl economically as well. Occasionally he tends to try and spear the ball in limited overs cricket and pitches too short as a result. But if there was anyone you would want to be bowling when the pressure is on and the stakes are high, Leverock's your man. Along with Smith, the key to Bermuda's success or failure.

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Tall, athletic and supremely fit (oddly, despite a smokers habit) the Social Club seamer has all the attributes to bowl with genuine pace, bounce and menace. And sometimes, when the mood takes him and his action and run-up are in sync, he does ? proving far too much of a handful for your average Bermudian batsman. On other days, his rhythm apparently deserts him and he becomes nothing more than a medium pacer with an inability to bowl anything other than half-volleys. It is to be hoped the former version of Hurdle turns up in Ireland, because the team is in desperate need of a strike bowler capable of ruffling a few feathers from one end with the new ball. If the latter Hurdle makes an appearance, together with a frustrating no-ball problem, the giant will be pulverised by good players. Hurdle just sneaks in a head of Ryan Steede, who boasts many of his attributes other than the potential for real pace. Though somewhat inconsistent, Hurdle can also knock the cover off a cricket ball if need be.