David Moore expects Bermuda's cricketers to hit the ground running and play hard from the very first minute in South Africa.

The Australian talked to The Royal Gazette in his first interview as head coach, and outlined his approach to the game, his aims for the future, and expressed his delight at being back in the international arena.

And Moore said that the Island did not have the time to go through a re-building phase, so the players must be ready to 'work hard on the job'.

Bermuda's new coach has been out of full time cricket since he parted ways with the West Indies in 2007, and has been working with a sports academy in Sydney since then.

"When I left the West Indies, there were no cricket jobs in Australia, and so I went into education, which is something I am also interested in," he said.

"I kept my hand in as a consultant for New South Wales, and coached district cricket in Sydney, for a club called St. George.

"I wasn't able to do anything for this season, because I didn't feel able to commit to anything while the process here was going on. But it's great to be back in international cricket, and great to be working with elite athletes again, it's what I want to be doing."

Moore's approach to the game is typically Australian, 'work hard, play hard, always expect to win, and never settle for anything less'.

It is an attitude that will permeate every facet of Bermuda's time under the new coach, starting from the moment they arrive at the High Performance Centre here in Pretoria.

"What I have learnt over the years is that you have to have that international approach, that high level of professionalism, to compete at that level you cannot be anything other than elite," he said.

"You have to have the mentality to play hard, to fight hard, and that's what I bring to the table for the national team, that mentality, the knowledge of what it takes.

"But I'm fortunate in that I won't just be the national head coach, I'll be putting a programme in place so that the junior cricketers adopt this approach, and I'll see them through to the senior team, and be able to track that.

"It's about building a programme, it's something I enjoy, it's what I did at the Cricket Academy (in Australia), and what I will do here."

A rigorous training programme will see the cricketers working from 7.30 a.m. to around 5 p.m. every day. And Moore, who will arrive in South Africa on Saturday afternoon, is looking forward to seeing how his new charges react.

"We'll have to work hard on the job to get where we want to be, maybe harder than some of the players expect, but by time we step on to the field (against Namibia), we will have put in enough quality work, that we will be ready," he said.

"The time in Pretoria isn't about breaking the players, it's getting them to where they need to be, so that when they take the field they are ready to perform at the peak of their performance.

"I'll interview each of them on a one-on-one basis, and I'll want to see how they handle the tasks we set them, how hard they work, how hard they practice."

Moore, however, said he will not be the head coach on the tour, with Arnold Manders having taken the players throughout the winter, the idea is that Manders fills that role, and Moore assists him.

"I've been in constant contact with Arnold, and communicating with him. He'll be the head coach on the trip, and I'll be there to assist him," said Moore.

"The idea is that we have already put a programme in place that the squad will work towards, and the time I am there will allow me to get to know them, and them to know me."

While the immediate task is to beat Namibia, the long-term aim is to create a cricket culture in Bermuda where there is a seamless transition between players retiring and others coming in.

"Unfortunately we aren't in a position where we can re-build, there isn't the time to go through that process," said Moore. "But any time you're representing your country, you go hard, and start straight off the bat.

"We're not re-building, but looking to put the processes in place where juniors can take their place in the team when required.

"We have good players like Stephen and David to build a team around, and when they leave others will slot in. That's my aim, similar to the way the Australian set-up works."

First though come Namibia, and while Moore is reluctant to make predictions, he did say the side would be ready.

"It's difficult for me to say what a realistic expectation is, because I don't really know all the players. But, what I will say, is, that at the international level you have got to expect yourself to win every game.

"You have to have that winning mentality, if nothing else, you have to believe, and you can't ever be happy with a below par performance.

"It would be great if we could win every game, but if we go to Namibia, and surprise the international cricket community, that would be fantastic."