ONE didn’t even have to read between the lines to find the message conveyed by national cricket coach Gus Logie in an article published in this newspaper last week.

While he won’t admit as much, clearly he’s frustrated and, from what we can gather, has every right to be.

Since the World Cup back in March, the senior national programme has apparently plummeted to new depths.

While it was always accepted that a squad containing more than its fair share of veterans was always going to be depleted by retirement once the Caribbean tournament ended, what wasn’t expected that many of those remaining would practically throw in the towel.

But from what we can gather from Logie, that appears to have been the case.

Rather than building on the World Cup experience or putting into practice lessons that might have been learned from playing against the game’s elite, several have shown little or no interest in training.

It’s as if their own message is: ‘We’ve done our part, we need a break’.

And perhaps there’s some justification to that argument.

It has to be remembered that once the Cup journey was over, their professional contracts with Bermuda Cricket Board expired and many were forced to return to their former employers.

As amateurs their commitment can’t be expected to match that of the full-time pros of the big cricketing nations such as England, Australia, West Indies etc.

Yet it has also to be remembered that when Bermuda were granted International One-Day status by the International Cricket Council (ICC) following their qualification for the World Cup, the commitment expected in return was expected to stretch beyond that showpiece through to 2009 at the least. While the national team haven’t played a game since their beating by Bangladesh in Trinidad in their last World Cup appearance, matches are planned against Denmark, Holland and Ireland in less than a month’s time, and Logie will also be hoping for more games later in the year.

His cause, meanwhile, hasn’t been helped by failure to solve the pitch problem at the National Sports Centre and the suspension of key players following disciplinary issues.

The immediate goal, of course, is that we’ll be prepared for the next qualifying tournament for the 2011 World Cup in two years’ time.

But judging from events over the past couple of months, we’ll be anything but.

Such has been the lack of interest from many of those who wallowed in the global spotlight under which they were thrust earlier this year, Logie may have no option but to raid the ranks of the national Under-19 team who have made something of an impression during their appearance at this week’s Sir Gary Sobers tournament in Barbados.

Few of them are ready for the rigours that would be presented in ODIs, even against other so-called international cricket minnows, and hopefully what they lacked in experience might be compensated for by enthusiasm.

But whichever route Logie chooses to take, there can be no complaints from those left out.

As was clearly shown during the World Cup, none of our players are worthy of automatic selection. After failing to deliver on the field, if they also to fail deliver off it, they can have no qualms if their international careers are abruptly cut short.

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CRITICS of Bermuda Football Association have been in their element this week, lambasting the governing body over a 2-0 defeat inflicted by tiny Gibraltar during the Island Games.

Yet it has to be remembered this was an Island Under-23 team, containing few, if any, of the players who would appear in a full national side, most of whom are currently involved with the Bermuda Hogges.

And while one wouldn’t expect Gibraltar to contain too many accomplished players in their ranks, there aren’t any countries in Europe these days who wouldn’t provide Bermuda with a decent challenge.

The likes of Faeroe Islands, San Marino and Luxembourg have all made their mark at some stage in the European Championships.

Given our international record of late, any one of those three would be heavily favoured to beat our full national team.

Globally, the standard of football has increased dramatically over the past ten years or more. The simple fact is that Bermuda has failed to keep pace.

Bermuda Football Association would point to a variety of factors why that has been the case, but much like our cricketers, a general lack of commitment at the senior level would no doubt be singled out as a major contributory factor.