Whichever players the selectors announced last night for the forthcoming tour to Namibia, it will be a team capable of offering a spirited challenge in the ICC Intercontinental Cup finals, claimed Bermuda cricket?s top dog.

Bermuda Cricket Board president Reggie Pearman is not saying that opponents Kenya, and potential finalists Ireland and UAE, should put up the white flag and surrender, but he expects Bermuda to be just as competitive against these countries next month as they have been in their two previous competitions ? the ICC Trophy in Ireland and the first round of the ICC Intercontinental Cup in Toronto.

Even before the team selection was revealed, Pearman insisted quality would be at a premium and he expected the selectors would ensure this was the case in their final choice.

?I have full confidence in the selectors and the players, a lot of people have said that we made changes to previous squads but the changes have panned out to being a success,? said Pearman.

?We are happy and quite delighted to see everybody keen right now and the upbeat mood of the whole country has a lot to do with the attitude and commitment of the players, they themselves are anxious to play the games and that?s a positive sign.

?I am quite confident in whatever team we are sending over there to Namibia, that they will do their best.?

The momentum at the training sessions held by new coach Gus Logie has been extraordinarily high and Pearman doesn?t believe that the Board will encounter any problems of discouragement among any players who have been left out for the forthcoming trip.

Player participation has improved dramatically since the departure of former coach Mark Harper and the introduction of former West Indies star Logie to Bermuda cricket and the Board will do their utmost to ensure that the trend continues.

?Times have changed, we?ve talked to the players and they are cognisant of the fact that some of them are not going to make it. We can only take so many over to Namibia and they are aware that they have tried their best and those who are not going will just have to dig in for the next time,? he claimed.

?The criteria were set by ICC as to what we can take. We try to take the best and those who are available, those who have worked hard at training and shown to be fully committed to represent their country at the international level are the ones who get the eventual call.?

The president agreed that the recently announced ambitious proposed tours by the national team to countries such as Bangladesh, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada and South Africa are unique to local cricketers and should help them to aspire to qualify for national team duty.

He believed that it certainly is something which has the Board on a high and determined to work hard along with Logie to take Bermuda cricket to new heights internationally and domestically.

Steve Tikolo has been confirmed as Kenya?s captain for the Intercontinental Cup semi-final against Bermuda.

The Kenyan squad is almost identical to the one which beat Uganda and drew with Namibia earlier in the season. The new faces are Ragheb Aga, who captained the side in last year?s semi-final defeat by Scotland, and Mohammad Sheikh, a promising 25-year-old left-arm spinner who is based in Australia.

On their way to Namibia, Tikolo?s men will stop in Zimbabwe, where they will play matches with Zimbabwe A as part of their preparations.