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ICC -- are we ready for the challenge?

AS THE national cricket team continue preparation for this summer's ICC Trophy -- now just two months away -- there's an apparent belief by many local followers of the sport that, finally, this might be Bermuda's year.

After all, on paper at least, qualification for the next World Cup -- in South Africa in 2003 -- has never been less demanding.

Teams such as Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Kenya, who may have blocked Bermuda's path in previous attempts, all now enjoy automatic qualification and from the 24 sides competing in the ICC, this year three will advance rather than just two.

For a country of Bermuda's cricketing pedigree, indeed there should be cause for optimism, especially under the guidance of newly-installed coach, former Test player Roland Butcher.

Even ex-skipper Colin Blades, someone who knows plenty about top class cricket and who in his prime could have walked into any ICC team, was quoted recently as saying he believed Bermuda had all the tools to succeed this time around.

Yet amidst this wave of optimism, it's perhaps time we factored in a large dose of reality.

If comparisons were to be made between Bermuda's preparation for the three-week tournament in Toronto, and that of other aspiring World Cup qualifiers, then it would be apparent we've got some catching up to do.

The national squad's last competitive match was more than six months' ago at the Red Stripe Bowl in Antigua. And the only games planned before departure to Canada are against incoming tourists, MCC.

Quite simply, our players have had nothing like the international exposure that is currently being afforded many of the teams gearing up for ICC.

Granted, MCC's visit might help sharpen the players' skills and put into practice what they've been rehearsing in training, but it's questionable whether the tourists will offer the kind of serious competition required at this late stage of Bermuda's build-up.

It's worth considering what other countries are doing in their run-up to the ICC.

Holland, for instance, are touring South Africa and then plan on visiting Barbados just prior to arriving in Toronto.

Denmark, Bermuda's opposition in their opening group game, and Uganda are also planning tours of South Africa.

Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia recently played against each other in a triangular tournament, and Malaysia followed this with a trip to Pakistan where they played against the Pakistan A side.

Hosts Canada are touring Sri Lanka. And the USA, who were due to finalise their squad this week, plan a series of one-day matches both home and abroad.

Fiji recently reached the final of the Pacifica Cup in New Zealand and throughout this month and next will assemble their players in a special pre-ICC camp.

None of the above mentioned countries are exactly cricketing powers. Yet they won't be pushovers when the action in Toronto gets underway in late June.

Bermuda, not for the first time, will be relying heavily on natural talent, arguably entering the fray under-prepared and with a serious lack of match practice.

That doesn't mean they can't succeed. And the whole Island will be hoping they can. But any notion that World Cup qualification will be a cakewalk needs to be quickly dispelled.

IT WAS long overdue, but Bermuda's success at last weekend's Carifta Games in Barbados might just be what was needed to lift local athletics out of the doldrums.

Back in the '70s, five medals at this junior Caribbean meet wouldn't have been considered anything exceptional. In light of the recent drought, however, this year's haul -- two gold, two silver and a bronze -- represents an encouraging improvement.

In gold medallists Brittany Marshall and Zindzi Swan, it appears the Island has two exceedingly talented athletes, and there are a handful more who could yet make their mark in the international arena.

But the real test for Bermuda Track and Field Association will come in translating this success at junior level to medals at CAC, Pan-Am, Commonwealth and ultimately Olympic level.

And let's not forget those who travelled to Barbados represented just a fraction of the talented young athletes currently competing in Bermuda.

For reasons best known to those within the BTFA, there are still far too many youngsters excluded from the national programme.

And until that problem is addressed, our true potential on the world athletics stage will never be realised.

-- ADRIAN ROBSON