Marc Weatherhill, chairman of Bermuda cricket?s new technical committee, established last month by the Bermuda Cricket Board, announced yesterday the names of eight individuals chosen to sit on the panel.

The committee, which will assemble for the first of a series of meetings this evening, includes Cup Match MVP Saleem Mukuddem, as well as prominent local cricketing figures Arnold Manders, Wendell Smith, Allan Douglas, Winston Reid, Graham Strange and national coach Mark Harper.

In selecting these individuals, Weatherhill said that he had tried to include a ?broad cross-section? from across the Bermudian cricketing community, some with an intimate knowledge and experience of the game overseas as well as those who are ?well acquainted? with opinions in the local game.

?The meeting this week will be to identify the areas of concern and establish what our role should be,? he said.

?I wanted to make sure that the people included on the panel were representative of a variety of different interests in Bermudian cricket.

?In my opinion, that has been done.

?It was a difficult balancing act because we needed to have enough people to make the committee effective, but I was also well aware of the fact that too many cooks do spoil the broth.?

Weatherhill stressed that his role in the process was simply to ?mediate and record? the goings on behind closed doors, but he said he would ensure that the panel would never ?operate in a vacuum.?

?We are willing to listen to any number of opinions,? he said.

?It is up to those individuals who feel they have something to contribute to really make an effort and make sure their view is heard.?

Weatherhill admitted that he will not know until after tonight?s meeting just how the panel will present their point of view at the inquest?s conclusion.

In his mind, however, he said he is settled on the view that the committee should produce an official list of recommendations for reform which will then be put before the Board?s executive and its affiliates.

Criticism of local cricket?s format has been widespread for some time.

But the issue came to a head during the Barbados tour fiasco and the visit of the International Cricket Council?s (ICC) Regional Development Manager Martin Vieira to the Island in early December.

He argued that local cricketers were gorging themselves on limited overs and not developing sufficiently to ?compete with the big boys.?

As a result, the panel is set to address, among many other issues, topics such as how to incorporate two-day cricket into the league structure without putting an excessive strain on cricketers with family and work commitments, as well as how to alleviate the significant drop in interest and participation levels at cricket clubs in the aftermath of Cup Match.