Bermuda's cricketers are facing the prospect of playing their vital Intercontinental Shield match in Namibia without a head coach.

Having lost their first game of the competition to Uganda last year, Bermuda have to beat the African nation if they are to have any chance of getting to the final in Dubai in November.

However Gus Logie's replacement, David Moore, who has been offered, and has accepted the position from Bermuda Cricket Board, is still in Australia with time running out before the team leave the Island on March 23.

Despite the former West Indies coach agreeing to take the post more than a month ago, the Department of Immigration has yet to grant him a work permit, and every day that goes by lessens the –likelihood that he will be –involved.

Even if that permit came tomorrow, the Australian would face a race against time to be involved because Moore, who has always made it very clear that he will not resign from his current job with the Australian Cricket Academy in Adelaide until a permit is granted, would still have to serve a notice period of roughly a month before he could join up with the team.

Given that the Shield game against Namibia is due to start on April 2, and the team have an intensive training camp in Pretoria a week before that, Moore is likely to play no more than an –observer's role in what is the Island's most important game of the year.

Relegated to Division Two cricket after a disappointing showing in the World Cup qualifiers nearly a year ago, winning the Shield is the –only way Bermuda can –regain their Division One, and more importantly, One Day International status.

And even if Moore does manage to link up with the team, he will be coaching a group of players he has never met, never seen play, and only has second hand information and sheets listing performances from the previous season on which to base his opinions.

BCB chief executive Neil Speight had no comment to make on the matter other than to confirm "the BCB is waiting for the work permit from Immigration for David Moore".

However there is frustration building within the governing body that the side's chances of success are being seriously undermined by the Government department's apparent lack of urgency over the issue.

With the current training squad due to be trimmed to 16 names and a Tour squad to be announced next Tuesday, the decisions seem likely to fall on the shoulders of Arnold and Andre Manders who have been taking charge of the players for winter training.

The pair have organised an inter-squad game for Saturday, which will be played at the Warren Simmons Community Field (Royal Naval Field) in Somerset, during which they hope to test different partnerships before deciding on who will travel to South Africa and Namibia.

Training squad: David Hemp (Captain, UK based), Stephen Outerbridge, Stefan Kelly (UK based), Jekon Edness, Irving Romaine, Oliver Pitcher Jr., Rodney Trott, Tamauri Tucker, Jordan DeSilva, Justin Pitcher, Malachi Jones, Fiqre Crockwell, Chris Foggo, Joshua Gilbert, Regino Smith, Kyle Hodsoll, Ryan Steede, Shannon Raynor, Jim West, Kevin Tucker, David Lovell, Ryane Shepherd.