Senior cricketers wanting to represent Bermuda at this summer's ICC preliminary round World Cup tournament in Los Angeles could face being cut from the national squad in the near future unless they show a full commitment towards the training programme.

While such a decision would be made by national coach Mark Harper and the selection committee, Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) president Reginald Pearman hinted that there was little more the Board could do to encourage players to attend training sessions.

Before leaving for South Africa on the weekend for the World Cup finals, Pearman said he was hopeful the apathy shown by several players towards training would be reversed by the Board's recent announcement of a pre-tournament tour for a 14-man squad to Trinidad and Tobago from May 8 to May 19.

He was also confident that the end of the football season would lead to increased numbers, explaining that some players had been heavily involved with their teams and had preferred to carry on through to the end of the season before switching to cricket.

But with just seven weeks left before the tour of the Caribbean, the Board will want to see those intending to go to the ICC competition in September make a full commitment.

"We are just waiting to see what is going to happen but something will have to give soon because there isn't that much time left for trip to the Caribbean" said Pearman.

"But all of that is in the hands of the coach and the committee. All I can say is that we have a squad of 30 players and the team going to Trinidad and Tobago will be chosen on its merit - the ones who commit themselves will obviously be favoured by the selectors."

Almost certainly the bulk of those who head south to Trinidad will be selected for the trip to California in September.

Coach Harper remained non committal yesterday, although he said there were signs that attendance at training was picking up.

"All I can say right now is that it has been better but overall it hasn't been too good at all," he remarked.

Meanwhile, the Board has earmarked the weekend of May 10 as the most likely start for the new cricket season.

It was just last week that they announced the start had been delayed for two weeks because of the unavailability of several grounds around the Island.

Among those venues understood to have been severely affected by the rainy winter weather and in need of additional time for preparation are St. John's Field, Devonshire Rec. and Somerset Cricket Club.

The race is also on to get Wellington Oval back into shape after it was damaged during a motocross extravaganza late last year.