critics and declared: "I see no reason to resign.'' Rudolph Lawrence claimed he had no knowledge of Bermuda cricketers smoking marijuana in a hotel room.

And he predicted a board of inquiry would fail to unearth any evidence of drug abuse.

"I would be very surprised if anyone came forward to point a finger at someone and say `I saw you smoking marijuana','' the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control vice-president said. "Nobody came to me and made any official complaint. It is all hearsay.'' Asked why no players were drug tested before the tour, he replied: "I don't know anything about that. I'm not going to make any statement.'' He added BCBC president Ed Bailey was handling that subject.

"I am only speaking on my own behalf. I am not speaking for the Board,'' he stressed.

Yesterday Mr. Bailey, facing repeated calls to resign, did not return calls from The Royal Gazette news section.

Instead, a Royal Gazette reporter was told by the law firm where he works to contact lawyer Michael Mello, who is chairing the inquiry into the drug allegations.

Mr. Mello, however, declined to comment.

Mr. Bailey and other BCBC officials have come under fire in recent weeks.

Cricket They have been criticised after news that at least two Bermuda cricketers were suspected of smoking pot in a hotel room in Kuala Lumpur during the trip to Malaysia, where drug traffickers risk the death penalty.

It has emerged the squad was not officially tested and searched before or after the World Cup qualifying tournament.

Yesterday The Royal Gazette disclosed Mr. Bailey broke public vows to drug test Bermuda players before their ill-fated trip.

Mr. Bailey, it was revealed, stated on at least three occasions the players would be tested, including a January 24 Ministry of Sport "drug-free'' conference at Stonington Campus.

He also made the commitment in two 1996 interviews with The Royal Gazette -- one appeared on February 15 and the other on November 8.

Last night the BCBC general council met for a post-mortem on the Malaysia tour. Reports by coach Allan Douglas and adviser Bobby Simpson, the former Australian captain, were expected to be discussed.

Mr. Lawrence said he, too, was submitting a report. He went on to lash back at his critics.

"People who are criticising us from the outside, should get involved in a club. If they got on the inside, maybe they would form a different opinion.''