Irving Romaine as opener? It?s an option national coach Gus Logie might not have considered. But some other big names in the game ? South African Gary Kirsten and Australians Rodney Marsh and David Boon among them ? seemingly believe that?s where the hard-hitting middle order bat belongs.

Kirsten, Marsh and Boon were all part of the coaching staff at the Pretoria Cricket Academy where Romaine and national team-mates Stefan Kelly, Kwame Tucker and Kevin Hurdle spent four weeks immediately prior to the current African tour.

And Romaine, forced to sit out this week?s four-day Intercontinental Cup match against Kenya as he nursed a groin injury, revealed that during all of the training matches played in Pretoria he was asked to open.

?Every time we played a game they made me opening bat,? said the Bailey?s Bay all-rounder who, providing he?s passed fit, will skipper Bermuda in the upcoming one-day games against Kenya in Mombasa.

?That was an experience, facing the new ball on a regular basis. I think it was designed to help my patience, letting balls go by and stuff like that. But it was a very good experience.

?I know Gus (Logie) heard that I had been opening and he chuckled, so I don?t know . . . you know me, I?m ready for any challenge.? Regardless of where he bats, Romaine reckons he?ll be able to draw on information garnered during his four-week stay. ?It was definitely worthwhile,? he added, ?learning new strategies, everything about cricket, the whole lifestyle of a cricketer, particularly a professional cricketer.

?There was so much to learn, it?s a shame that the whole team couldn?t go and experience it. Now it?s up to the four of us who did attend to pass on what we learned to the other guys.? Indeed, the entire Bermuda squad will get chance to see the camp next week when they take up residence at the academy following the one-day matches in Mombasa.

?When we go back to Pretoria, the course will be over, we?ll only catch the last three days,? explained Romaine. ?But hopefully there will still be some coaches around who can speak to us about certain things.

?The stories they?ve heard about the Bermuda team, I know they?d really like to see us and meet some of our other players.? Much of the emphasis during his stay, said Romaine, was on building self-confidence.

?They were really emphasising the importance of being positive, backing yourself because you?re going up against some of the best players in the world, telling you, ?don?t be scared?.

?They told us to believe in the technique we have, not to change it too much. It was all about building confidence to face the top players in the world.

?We had a psychologist. We had psychology classes, vision classes, nutrition classes, obviously fitness classes, cricket analysis . . .

?It was basically a cricketing college. You learnt just about everything there is in the game.? And has he emerged a better player? ?I think so. I think I?ve come out of it a well-rounded player.

?We got different information from a different bunch of coaches. They all stressed to pick what suits you . . . try it first and find what suits your game.

?With Kwame (Tucker) for instance, he now has so much information that putting it all into effect might start messing with his head a little bit. But we?ll work things out, and overall I think we?ll be better players.? Frustrated by having to miss the tour opener, Romaine says he?s desperate to get back out in the middle.

?I definitely want to play the one-dayers,? he said.

?I wanted to play the four-dayer but the physio said it?s a long tour, let?s give it (injury) some more rest.? And while he thoroughly enjoyed his stay at the academy, the happy-go-lucky Romaine admitted he was more than ready to rejoin the rest of the squad.

?Let?s just say our brand of cricket is a lot more relaxed than what I?ve been doing for the last four weeks,? he laughed.