SO MUCH has already been said and written about the Dubai cricket debacle, it would almost be churlish to dwell on the national team?s numerous shortcomings.

Bermuda flew out to the Middle East with few expectations, having not played a competitive one-day match in almost three months and with a squad which included a number of youngsters with little or no international experience.

Yet nobody would have predicted a five-match whitewash, particularly against a country whose own World Cup aspirations went up in flames against many of the same Bermuda players last summer.

Plenty of excuses could be offered for a string of crushing defeats in which there were precious few individual performances of note, but to their great credit, the coach and the players themselves, publicly at least, have been frank in their confession that they simply weren?t good enough.

The question that begs now is, where do we go from here? How do we rebound from such soul-destroying humiliation?

The team?s flaws have been cruelly exposed to the extent that each and every one of the players must be now doubting their own ability and their value to the squad.

Fortunately, for coach Gus Logie there?s time to rebuild that shattered confidence.

Bermuda?s next international commitment isn?t until April when they travel to Trinidad for a training camp and most likely at least one match against the Caribbean island and possibly others against local club sides.

The next serious competition on the schedule is a tour of England and Guernsey in late May and early June when matches against English second XI county sides could be just as challenging as anything they encountered in the United Arab Emirates.

Between now and then, each player?s commitment must be scrutinised more thoroughly than ever before.

Rumours have circulated recently that prior to the latest tour, training hadn?t been as well attended as Logie would have liked.

Apparently, not all players were able to make the same sacrifices at the same time with result that the coach rarely had a full complement of players with which to work.

If that was the case, it clearly has to change.

As of yesterday, those in the national squad are being paid for their services ? part-time professionals probably earning more than any of their counterparts in other ICC Associate countries such as Ireland, Scotland, Canada and Holland, all of whom also qualified for next year?s World Cup.

While that money won?t make them better players overnight, it should result in a commitment both on and off the field which reflects the work ethic required to compete on the international stage.

Even the harshest of critics would probably concede that Bermuda cricket contains a pool of talent capable of competing at the level to which we?ve now been elevated.

We?re better than the results in Dubai and Sharjah would have our opponents believe.

With a fit Clay Smith hopefully back in the side this summer and with the experience of English county player David Hemp waiting in the wings ? could anyone now seriously argue against his inclusion? ? there?s more than a glimmer of hope.

But Smith and Hemp won?t be the panacea to all of Bermuda?s problems.

If we?re to emerge from a rut that has resulted in an appalling nine consecutive international one-day defeats, it?s up to every player to play their part in the rebuilding process.

And that will require dedication and determination the likes of which we?ve never seen before.