AN ENIGMA wrapped up in a mystery.

That might be an apt description of the Bascome family.

To have so many talented sportsmen emerge from the same clan is almost beyond belief.

But that same family, blessed with such an abundance of natural skill, have often found themselves falling foul of authority.

Teenager Oronde is the latest to hit the headlines – a cricketer who impressed his club, St.George's, so much that he was installed as captain above many with far more experience.

A Cup Match, even national team skipper in waiting, some believed.

His career promised so much more – playing a key role in Bermuda's qualification for the next World Cup and earning a chance to step out in the game's most glamorous event of all, the World Cup itself.

It was a chance that millions around the globe – the Caribbean, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and, in particular, the cricket-mad sub-continent – would have died for.

But the apathy which seems to be associated with so many of our young sportsmen, surfaced again.

Oronde never quite grasped the opportunities that were practically presented on a plate – opportunities to play against the best, travel the world and would shape his entire career, indeed his life.

'Multiple breaches of contract' were the reasons offered by Bermuda Cricket Board this week as they booted young Bascome out of their national squad just weeks before the World Cup preparations shifted into top gear.

Failing to attend a training session last week and instead opting to watch the Dudley Eve Cup final in Somerset, is believed to have been the final straw, although this newspaper understands there were others in the national squad who, inexplicably, made the same choice.

Arrogant or just plain stupid? Or maybe they just don't get it.

As BCB Director of Cricket Development Arnold Manders explained just last week, those who don't meet the conditions of the full-time contract they recently signed will quickly find they are not indispensable.

Bascome is the first to discover the Board weren't messing around.

In his case, past indiscretions apparently came into play and they had no option but to show him the door.

The chance that Oronde just blew may not have sunk in yet and father Herbie, the assistant national coach, might be hugely disappointed although, like his son, he has had a somewhat chequered career.

Two incidents that immediatley come to mind are the Cup Match sledging in which he engaged with Somerset's Saleem Mukuddem a few years ago and the knocking down of the stumps during a Premier League match last summer, for which he was reprimanded by the Board – a punishment which many felt didn't quite fit the crime.

That said, it shouldn't be forgotten just how much Herbie has contributed to the sport, on and off the field, and the sacrifices made.

But it's human nature that the five and six-wicket hauls that have driven his club to victory or the swashbuckling innnings that have lifted his team out of trouble, won't be remembered as much as the incidents which blotted his copybook.

The irony, of course, is that the Bascomes have dominated both cricket and football like no other family, past or present.

David Bascome has been a magnificent ambassador for the Island as both a successful indoor professional footballer and a community services leader. His weekly 'Hope for Life' column in this newspaper provides shining examples of how youngsters can better their lives and realise their dreams.

Perhaps the most talented of all, however, is Andrew.

At his peak, and despite his size, he was regarded as one of the best footballers this Island has ever produced – every bit as talented as a Clyde Best, Shaun Goater or Kyle Lightbourne.

Few who played against him would disagree. Week after week he would weave his magic across the pitch, immediately stamping his authority on the game and frequently determining the outcome.

A knee injury and before that a reluctance to test his ability abroad meant he never realised his full potential.

These days, as a coach, he continues to make an impact.

But then again, so do his brothers and nephews, often in a conflicting way.

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DEJA VU?

Bermuda Football Association's decision, under a new executive, to completely revamp the way in which the game is played and administered is to be applauded.

And it appears to be enormously ambitious, providing sensible solutions to the many problems that have brought down the game in recent years.

However, as we know, even the best-laid plans can go awry.

Ask past BFA presidents Larry Mussenden and Neville Tyrrell. Both had their own 'revolutionary' ideas and by the time they were voted out many of them had, for various reasons, failed to come to fruition.

Richard Calderon seems to have done his homework and with the help of experienced technical director Derek Broadley, and more importantly the clubs, the so-called Strategic Plan could reach its goal – to put Bermuda back on the map as a force in the CONCACAF region.

The president has put his head on the chopping block. Hopefully, by this time next year, it's still attached.

- ADRIAN ROBSON