Ace batsman Janeiro Tucker has taken issue with being axed from the Island?s senior cricket training squad.

Saying he explained his peculiar situation to the Bermuda Cricket Board and national coach Mark Harper, the Southampton Rangers skipper and prolific run-gatherer said he only knew he had been dropped from the training programme when he saw his name in a article earlier this year.

This surprised him as he said he had told Harper and company that he was prepared to join cricket training following the soccer season and their reaction was ?okay...cool?.

?I was playing soccer and I had spoken to the coach and explained that I?m playing soccer and I cannot afford to be training every day because I have my own commitments,? said Tucker who represents his club in both sports.

?I said I was training for soccer and I am doing fitness (work) just like they are doing fitness and that once football was over I would commit myself to training with the national squad.

?Then when I looked in the paper I saw I was one of the guys axed so I was like ?Okay cool, I?ve got other things I can do?. I?m just looking at it as something that?s gone.

?I just think I got the short end of the stick where this is concerned.?

While ?disappointed? to miss out on an international calendar that includes the Americas Cup ? the first stage of qualifiers for the 2007 World Cup ? and the Inter-Continental Cup (a three-day tournament) Tucker was adamant he would certainly not be begging the BCB for a change of heart as he did not feel he did anything wrong.

?They can?t expect me to go to training on a Sunday morning and do physical work-outs and then by the time my football game comes around in the afternoon I?m tired,? reasoned the 29-year-old who would love to represent Bermuda in the future again.

While his chances of international glory this year seem to have come to nought, Tucker is eager to start another season leading Rangers, the reigning Premier Division champions.

However, he is starkly aware it will be a different ? and difficult ? ball game for the West End club this year.

The mass exodus of instrumental players ? due to retirement, change of club and work commitments ? has left Rangers with a shell of the team that triumphed in 2003.

?Our goal is just to stay up in the Premier Division. I don?t see a repeat right now. My team is not as strong as it was last year,? noted the skipper candidly.

Among those bowing out are strike bowler Gary Williams, veteran all-rounder Clevie Wade (who will only coach now), Ricky Brangman and Kenny Phillips. The latter two have moved to Devonshire and Social Club respectively while Stevie Lightbourne is injured.

The likes of Tucker, his wicket-keeper cousin Kwame, Olin Jones, and Keith Wainwright will be joined by youngsters Dwia Blyden, Malachi Jones, Daniel Caines and a few others.

?That?s the nucleus of our team there for the time being and Rohaan (Simons) will join us when he comes back from football.

?I?m not looking for too much from my team this year. It?s going to be very hard especially when you?ve got youngsters who have never played a whole season of Premier (Division cricket). We?re just trying to groom them and bring them through.

?Our goal last year was to win the league and then look to rebuild with the youngsters.

?We had talked about this ? that we wanted to win the league because we knew what certain players? intentions were and then start a rebuilding process this year.

?At least we?ve not got everybody going out together. We?re looking to the future and we?re going to keep bringing the youngsters in as the older guys go out,? Tucker revealed, noting other veterans are likely to leave the club in the next few years also.

He remains optimistic, however, that Rangers can finish in the league?s top four and challenge for other silverware.

This would mean greater responsibility for the talented cricketer who will certainly need to fulfil his personal goal of ?scoring a lot of runs? to put Rangers on a winning path.

?I need to step up my game a bit from last year and be a real leader; show my youngsters the right way to do things and keep them on track. I think we?ll be all right.?

Tucker appreciates that, while explosive batting has long been his hallmark, his bowling will have to come to the forefront also to fill the breach.

?I?ll have to be more of an all-rounder. My batting will still be very important but because Gary and Kenny have gone I?ll have to concentrate on my bowling more now,? he said.