Bermuda's preparations for the Americas Championship, which gets underway on local soil next week, were thrown into utter disarray last night when squad members reacted with anger to the omission of wicket keeper Jason Anderson from the final squad.

National coach Mark Harper revealed the 15 names of those selected to the assembled group of players after training at the National Sports Centre last night, only to be met with cries of disbelief when Anderson's name was not mentioned.

Although nobody at the Board was available last night for comment, it is understood that Anderson - who plays for St. George's - was Harper's preferred choice, but the coach was over-ruled by a number of officials on the selection committee and the Board's executive, who consider his disciplinary record a disgrace and ill-befitting of a national team player.

The Royal Gazette, which was present at training in order to collect the squad list, was eventually asked to leave the training area while a bitter debate ensued.

Afterwards however, the players revealed that they had demanded a meeting with the executive committee to explain the omission of arguably Bermuda's most gifted wicket keeper, which they claimed would take place at noon today.

Though forbidden from speaking on the record because of a contractual agreement with the Bermuda Cricket Board, several of them also revealed they would consider withdrawing from the squad if they are not satisfied with the Board's explanation.

Anderson was banned for a year in 2001 for an on-field verbal tirade against team-mate Kameron Fox in a game between St.George's and Bailey's Bay.

And along with current Bermuda skipper Clay Smith, Anderson found himself in more hot water during that season when he punched a hole in the dressing room door during a nightmare Cup Match debut at the Wellington Oval.

It is also believed that Anderson's disruptive behaviour in a club match over the weekend, reported in Monday's Royal Gazette, caught the attention of Board officials and counted heavily against him in the final reckoning.

It is known that a number of individuals close to the decision, regard the St.George's wicket keeper as a ‘walking timebomb' and are extremely reluctant to include him in a high-profile international event.

Communication problems within the BCB are also thought to be at the heart of the apparent chaos, with players being invited to - and axed from - national team training by Harper apparently indiscriminately, and without keeping the selection committee or the Board's executive well informed of the squad's status.

This problem was highlighted by The Royal Gazette earlier this month in relation to the reinstatement to the squad of St.David's' allrounder Delyone Borden.

The youngster, along with a number of others, was publicly ‘axed' from the squad by Harper earlier this year for non-attendance at training sessions during the winter - only to be reselected once the season got underway.

This flew in the face of comments Harper made to The Royal Gazette in March when he appeared to make his views on the selection process crystal clear.

“It does not matter whether you are a big name player or a small name player. If you consistently don't train at any stage then you are omitted from the squad - and that's it,” he said.

Many of the players are privately appalled at the apparent lack of coherence in selection, and question also why the final squad has been picked at so late a date - just under one week before the tournament gets underway.

With a decision being made this Sunday as to whether Bermuda has earned the right to host 2007 World Cup games, this is an ill-timed and unfortunate row which the Board will be desperate to resolve before the five other Americas Championship squads fly into the Island this weekend.

l Bermuda America's Championship squad: Clay Smith (captain), Glenn Blakeney, Charlie Marshall, Saleem Mukuddem, Dennis Archer, Delyone Borden, OJ Pitcher, Jekon Edness, Kevin Hurdle, Dwayne Leverock, Mackie Crane, Wendell White, Clarkie Trott, Lionel Cann, Stephen Outerbridge