BE CAREFUL for what you wish . . .

Local cricket officials might want to bear that in mind following their recent little pow-wow at which they effectively asked the media, The Royal Gazette in particular, to "keep your nose out of our business."

Well, maybe we will. Maybe we'll simply ignore cricket altogether.

After all, the public in general seem so disillusioned, so fed up with the bickering, poor administration and general malaise of this national sport that they couldn't care less whether it's publicised or not. And if the public couldn't care less, then the media couldn't either.

It never ceases to amaze at how, when things take a turn for the worse, some of our sports administrators immediately want to shoot the messenger.

Rather than face up to their own inadequacies, they bury their heads in the sand, convinced that it's all a conspiracy concocted by this newspaper to bring them down.

More than a few politicians can understand that. Their warped thinking is along the same lines.

The sad fact is that cricket in Bermuda, both from a domestic and international perspective, is at its lowest ebb for years.

This season, although less than a couple of months old, has been a constant tale of one problem after another.

It got off to an inauspicious start when skipper Clay Smith led his St. David's team off the field on the opening weekend, claiming proper procedure hadn't been followed in the suspension of bowler Mackie Crane.

That followed an annual general meeting which, it has since been claimed, was 'unconstitutional' - a charge that has yet to be either explained or addressed by Bermuda Cricket Board.

And since then, from an administrative point of view, it's all been downhill.

Matches have been called off because umpires haven't been available, grounds haven't been prepared properly - the shortage of a simple piece of equipment such as roller seems to have become a major headache - and sometimes players simply haven't turned up.

Points have been deducted from one club and then reinstated after the BCB admitted their own blunder, and one match even concluded without anyone knowing the result, such was the confusion.

And what of the youth league launched under previous president El James. What's become of that? Guess The Gazette's to blame for that too!

Then, of course, there was the punishment of those players who committed the most dastardly of deeds - talking to the Press! Can't have that, said the Board as they hauled the 'culprits' before their disciplinary committee.

As if the executives didn't have more pressing matters to deal with - such as the actual running of the sport. Is there any wonder they've lost all respect?

Problems can crop up in all sports, particularly when the administration consists of volunteers, but most organisations will acknowledge their shortcomings and get on with the job.

Not, it would appear, the BCB and their faithful band of affiliates, who prefer to sweep all of the dirt under the carpet and have everybody believe that all's rosy in the garden.

As with so many activities in Bermuda, cricket is blessed with an abundance of talent. There are numerous players capable of performing beyond these shores, and performing with distinction.

But with the domestic programme in such disarray, what hope is there for them or anybody else to develop this talent.

Administering any sport is a thankless task. But when that task is beyond the capabilities of those in charge, then it's time to step aside and let someone else take the reins.

Cricket might not quite have reached that point yet, but from the evidence of this young season, it would seem we're getting desperately close.

Rather than blindly throw their support behind the governing body and blame the media for all of their ills, those in charge of our local clubs might better spend their time by considering how they can extricate cricket from the mess in which it now finds itself.

For the most part, they're responsible for creating it in the first place.