Early last month, Saleem Mukuddem was being hailed as one of the heroes who helped Bermuda qualify for the 2007 Cricket World Cup - by last Thursday he was being subjected to xenophobic taunts and accused of robbing young Bermudian cricketers of the chance to represent their country.

Rating his third Cup Match appearance for Somerset as “one of the worst games I've ever been in”, the South African allrounder fingered St. George's captain Herbie Bascome as the sole source of a vitriolic volley of abuse which left him temporarily reconsidering future participation in the two-day classic.

“I know sledging is part of the game but there's a fine line between sledging and personal attacks. It was pretty bad. To be honest it was one of the worst games of cricket, from a sportsmanship and fair play perspective, that I've been in.

“I don't ever want to be a part of anything like that again,” said Mukuddem adamantly.

The 33-year-old expatriate explained that, during Somerset's first innings on the first day of Cup Match, Bascome - who was fielding close to the bat - hurled repeated offensive and four-lettered invective at him.

“It was about the fact that I'm a foreigner. To quote him ‘I'm a f***ing foreigner. I should go back to where I come from and let Bermudian youth represent their country. I deprive the youth of Bermuda (of) opportunities to play international cricket and I'm raping the land',” recalled Mukuddem of his ordeal.

“He was cursing the whole day. It was comments like what I'm doing to the youth in Bermuda is comparable to what the whites did to the blacks in the apartheid years in South African.

“As soon as I came to the crease that was the tone of the verbal barrage that I was facing.”

What perturbed the Western Stars player - who never responded verbally to Bascome's tirade - even more was the fact that the St. George's skipper continued his mouthy onslaught even when bowlers were about to deliver.

“I pulled away a few times and then I said ‘Hey Lester, I don't mind him talking his mouth off but once the bowler is in his run-up then he's got to be quiet'. Then he (Bascome) goes and tells Lester ‘You know this guy is a f***ing foreigner and he's f***ing lying and talking a lot of b*lls**t' and that type of stuff, trying to tell Lester that I'm making things up,” elaborated Mukuddem, adding that Bascome disregarded warnings from umpire Lester Harnett about his conduct.

Later on Harnett reportedly told the batsman that he overheard some of the remarks and would include them in his match report. Mukuddem charged that Bascome also ruffled Barbadian-born Wendell White - another ICC Trophy player - and Somerset colt Azeem Pitcher, who was born in Trinidad, in the same unseemly fashion.

“Wendell was pretty devastated by what he said as well. He took it much harder than I did.”

Returning to the dressing room “saddened and disgusted” by the experience, Mukuddem said his spirit was lifted by team-mates who assured him that “he (Bascome) is not the norm and that I can't form an opinion about the majority based on what one stupid guy says”.

“Unfortunately, he is the skipper of the team and what the skipper does and says the others are soon going to follow. The younger guys in the team will look to him as a role model,” said Mukuddem, highlighting Bascome's influential role as national Under-19 coach.

“My concern is that he is not a good example. The Premier said the other day that the youngsters in Bermuda want to grow up to be cricketers. It's good to want to win but if stooping to his (Bascome's) level is what's required to win, then I do not want to be a winner.

“I'm contemplating formally writing to the Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) and to the presidents of both clubs, just to point out that this guy is in charge of the Under-19 national team.”

What puzzled Mukuddem was the fact that he has never endured any similar run-ins at Cup Match or in club fixtures with Bascome or anyone else.

“I've had comments but they were never as bad or as personal. This wasn't pleasant. Never in my life have I been compared to apartheid,” he stated, questioning the umpires' control of the situation.

Refusing to let anyone diminish his enjoyment of cricket, the topscorer for colts in Cup Match assured he would not let the veteran's outbursts drive him from playing while resident here.

“If you had asked me this yesterday (Saturday) I'd have said yes, I was considering not playing again but having had lunch with my team-mates yesterday and seen the guys fired up to get the cup back next year, I want to be part of getting it back. That's the thrill of competition,” he said.

Mukuddem, who has been encouraged by his team-mates and others urging him to speak out against Bascome, also confirmed he would continue representing Bermuda as long as selected.

“Herbie isn't a part of the national squad and the bond and friendships that I've developed with the guys in the ICC squad is what drives me and keeps me motivated,” he noted, adding that he just wants to put this behind him and look forward to 2007.