National team skipper Clay Smith has described the last-minute omissions of Charlie Marshall and Kevin Hurdle as ?big losses? for the Island?s cricket team.

However, he believes that the squad ? which leaves on Sunday for the UK ? is ?a very solid all-round team? and is determined to remain focused on the goal of qualifying for the 2007 Cricket World Cup when they compete in next month?s ICC Trophy in Ireland.

Marshall and Hurdle were excluded from Bermuda?s 14-member squad on Monday for disciplinary reasons and injury respectively and replaced by Chris Foggo and Wendell White. In Marshall?s case, it was disclosed that a training-session row between him and Smith led to his demise while Hurdle?s left hamstring ? which he hurt in mid-May ? has failed to heal adequately.

?To lose Kevin and Charlie at this stage are big losses for the team. Both of them have attributes that would definitely have contributed to the team. Charlie has a lot of experience at ICC (International Cricket Council) level and it?s always good to have experienced persons with you,? said Smith, declining to delve into details of the Marshall saga.

?It?s a very unfortunate situation because Charlie has been a great ambassador for Bermuda over the last 20 years and he will definitely be missed. That?s basically as much as I will say right now.?

The captain admitted that some bowling potency would be lacking with Hurdle?s absence as the Social Club paceman has been the Island?s most effective strike bowler in recent times.

?Kevin will definitely be a miss. I feel tremendously sorry for him because he has worked extremely hard to get fit and he is our fastest bowler.?

Smith, however, is still confident he has ?players who are good enough to get the job done?, including the two newcomers who were initially named as reserves.

?Chris Foggo and Wendell White are very adequate changes. Chris is probably the most in-form batsman in the country. He is young, talented and has loads of enthusiasm. Wendell also brings more variety to the squad ? not only is he a left-arm bowler, he can also bat anywhere from number one to 11.

?This enhances the team?s dynamics a little bit because before we only had one outright opening batsman. Bringing Chris in gives us more options. Also Wendell give us other options because he can also bat anywhere in the order,? reasoned the veteran.

Asked for an update on Bermuda?s other seamer Ryan Steede ? who had picked up a knee injury ? Smith gave his bowler the thumbs-up.

?Ryan is fine and ready to roll. He had a slight knee injury and he just needed some rest. Many of the guys have come up with injuries over the past few weeks and a lot of it?s due to fatigue.

?We have been training extremely hard and their bodies haven?t had much time to rest so you?ve found guys taking two or three days off just to allow their bodies to catch up and that was the case with Ryan. Having gotten that rest, he is back firing on all cylinders,? he assured.

As for his own, recurring knee problem, the Bermudian captain deemed it to be ?getting better day by day?.

?I?ve rested it a lot and I?m pleased with how it?s improving.?

Asked whether opting out of the majority of the season to give his ailing left knee a break has compromised his preparation, Smith acknowledged that he would have liked to play more matches to ensure he heads to the UK in good nick ?and confident about my game? but thinks he will be ready when crunch time comes.

?I know when the competition starts I can definitely switch gears so I?m not too concerned about that,? he declared.

?At the end of the day it?s mostly mental and I?m mentally ready for this challenge.?